Cape Fear
by Emerald1
Summary: Humans fear what they do not understand. A member of Team Gibbs faces that fear when he discovers the truth about himself. Angst and humor in equal parts in this study of what it means to be human, and what it means when others question your humanity.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n - Another WIP, but I am currently working on chapter 6, so I should be able to post pretty much every day. This challenge was based on how much Hetty looks like Edna from the Incredibles. It started out as just a humor piece in my mind, but then a plot showed up and brought his friend, angst, with him. What do we fear, and why do we fear it? **

After the uprising at Kaunas, Superheroes were deactivated and hidden among the general population. Now that the threat from terrorists is increasing, the Supers are returning, but will one Super in particular be able to live with the restrictions?

Cape Fear

_Memo to: all agencies_

_From: Homeland Security, Department of Superheroes_

_Pursuant to Presidential Order B7-33, all surviving Superheroes will be recalled to active duty. Strict regulations will be in place to prevent another Kaunas Uprising. See attached. Any Superhero not willing to accept a handler and to live within the requirements will be incarcerated in the Delta Wing of Leavenworth Prison or will be required to take the third option within 48 hours of notification._

_Thomas R. Morrow, HS, DofS_

_-----_

"Gibbs, need to see you for a minute." Vance didn't slow down as he yelled, neither did he let go of McGee's arm. Ducky was two steps behind them. Annoyed at the summons, Gibbs followed them up the stairs to Vance's office.

Down in the bullpen, DiNozzo chortled in glee. "Looks like Probie's in trouble. Wonder what he did? Hey, Palmer, any ideas?"

"I don't know." Palmer's words didn't quite match his face and DiNozzo was instantly up and across the room. He slung an arm around Palmer's shoulder and escorted him to a free chair next to DiNozzo's desk.

"Sure you do, Palmer, and you're going to tell us or my little Mossad friend is going to be very unhappy. Across from him, Ziva played along, pulling out one of her throwing knives and twirling it between her fingers.

One look at the knife and Palmer folded. "It has something to do with NCIS getting a Super."

"A Super? We're getting a Superhero?"

"Maybe. Apparently the CIA is trying to stop it and take him for themselves." Palmer blushed and scooted his chair further back from Ziva.

"Vance probably has McGeek hacking into the CIA database to figure out how they're going to try and stop it." Tony stopped and ran back through exactly what Jimmy had said. "He? Are you sure it's a guy; we're not getting some hot blonde Super with big…" He held his hands up in front of his chest to approximate a well-endowed bustline.

---NCIS---

"Vance, what in the hell is going on?" Gibbs looked around. Ducky was leaning against the window sill, looking very displeased with the proceedings, while McGee was slumped in a chair across from Vance's desk, wearing a dejected expression as he stared at his shoes.

Leon handed him a large stack of papers. "There's no time; just sign these where they're marked." Over a dozen post-its marked where signatures were needed. Two agents from Legal came in the witness the signing.

Gibbs still wasn't convinced. "What exactly am I signing?"

"You're agreeing to become the handler for a Super. Either you agree to this, or Trent Kort gets to take ownership of McGee." Vance looked down at his watch. "Security is trying to stall him, but he's already in the Yard."

"McGee is a Superhero? You're joking, right? Here I thought Clark Kent was mild mannered." When it was apparent that no one in the room was joking, Gibbs reached out and tapped McGee on the back of the head. "Are you all right with this? Is this what you want?"

"What I want became a moot point when the Presidential Decree came down. I don't have a choice, but of all the options for a handler, you're the only one I fully trust, Boss."

One of the MP's came into the office. "Kort is in the building. Gloria is trying to delay him, but we're talking minutes, Sir." Angry and feeling coerced, Gibbs started signing the many pages. Marti from Legal was scanning the last signature as Kort came through the door.

"You, Gibbs?" Trent Kort started laughing. "Do you have any idea what you've agreed to? Well, when you get tired and want to get rid of him, give me a call. Our lab could use a few more specimens." Still laughing, Kort turned and left, his two bodyguards right behind him.

On the best days, Kort made Gibbs' skin crawl. Today he wanted a shower. "Lab specimen?"

Ducky explained, his eyes never leaving McGee. "Timothy received the neural implant within hours of his birth, so we have no idea what powers he will develop or what will happen when the implant is removed. We don't even know if he will survive the removal."

"Then we don't remove it." Gibbs turned to the Director. "McGee's a damn fine agent, and we're managed this long without a Superhero on the payroll, who says we have to start now? If I'm his handler, don't I get some say in all this?"

"I'm no longer on the payroll, Boss." Tim shrugged as he filled in the details, knowing Gibbs would have never bothered to read any of the memos. "I'm now part of the inventory. I'm a tool at the disposal of the agency. If another agency feels that I'm not being used to the best of my ability, they can petition Homeland Security for my removal."

While Gibbs stared at him, McGee pulled his keys out of his pocket and held them out in front of Gibbs. "All of my personal effects now belong to my handler; that would be you. "I am now required to live under your supervision, either at your home or if you'd prefer, you can house me at a secure military facility when I'm not in use."

"For God's sake, Leon, you can't be agreeing with this. The human rights violations alone…"

When Gibbs didn't take the keys to his apartment and the Porsche, McGee dropped them on the desk. "That's the point, Boss, in the eyes of the international community, Supers are not human. In the hands of a terrorist, we're a weapon of mass destruction."

"I'm not going to kennel you like some service animal, so I guess you'll be moving in with me." Gibbs' pronouncement was greeted with a wan smile.

"Thanks, Boss."

"I do have some leeway in how you are treated here at the agency." Vance gave McGee what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "You will continue to have the designation of Special Agent and your stipend will be equivalent to what your take home salary was. I understand how difficult the situation is for you, McGee."

"Nothing personal, sir, but I don't think you do."

Vance smiled and moved his coffee cup in front of Tim before touching the steaming liquid with his finger. The steaming increased as the hot liquid froze in a matter of seconds. "Actually, I do understand. A few of us were never put in the program." He laughed at the expression on Gibbs' face. "Don't be so surprised, Jethro. You've always thought I was a cold-hearted bastard."

Gibbs shook his head. "I should have known. So how did you rate not having a handler?"

"Don't worry, I have one. You two break the news to your team while I arrange for a truck and some Marines to get McGee packed up and moved into your place."

Gibbs kept his hand on McGee's back as they left the office. "DiNozzo, David, you're with us. We're going to take this to Abby's lab." They joined up at the elevator, Palmer still in tow.

"So, Boss, rumor has it the team is getting a Super." DiNozzo grinned as he bounced on his toes. "Does that mean we're going to be a five person team, or are we trading in the geek?"

---NCIS---

Vance closed and locked the door before making a sweep for listening devices. Kort tended to leave a trail of them wherever he went. Once they were disposed of, he turned to Ducky. "I need your honest opinion, Dr. Mallard. Is McGee up to this?"

"Up to what exactly? Having his entire life upended? Losing his status as a human being? Knowing that the CIA wants to cut open his skull to see how his brain works? First things first. Let's see if he even survives the removal of the neural implant." Ducky turned around when he reached the door. "You've had your powers your entire life, Leon; don't make the mistake of assuming you know exactly what Timothy is going through."

---NCIS---

Abby looked up to see the entire MCRT walk through her door. "Hey, guys, what's up? Do we have a case?" She looked at the group. Gibbs and McGee looked somber, Ziva seemed confused, while Tony was ecstatic. Behind them Palmer hovered at the door, obviously uncomfortable.

"Guess what, Abby, we're getting our very own Super." Tony couldn't wait for Gibbs to break the news. "Isn't that right, Boss?"

"Really? How soon? Will I be able to spend some time with it in the lab?"

"Abby!" Abby blinked at the anger in Gibbs' voice. "You will never refer to him as an it and you will not be running any experiments on him. Is that understood?"

"Gibbs, I'm just saying that the science of superpowers is really fascinating and…"

"And nothing, Abs. Did you know that Superheroes are now classified as non-humans?"

"What? No, Gibbs, that's not right." Abby realized exactly what she had said and how it could be interpreted. "I didn't mean it like that, honest."

Gibbs was beginning to appreciate why McGee had been so reluctant to be activated as he laid down the law for his team. "At no point do I want McGee to be treated as anything other than an equal member of this team. Is that understood?"

DiNozzo appointed himself as the team spokesman. "Sure, Boss, we'll make sure that… wait a minute, you said McGee. McGee is our new Super? McGee?"

*Whack*

His laughter died out quickly after that.

---NCIS---

Once Ducky had left for the lab, Vance had a phone call to make, one he'd been dreading.

_~Operations, this is Hanna.~_

"Special Agent Hanna, this is Director Vance." Over the phone line he could hear the scraping as Hanna sat up straight.

_~Director Vance, what can we do for you?~_

"I need to speak to Hetty. Transfer me to a secure line." It took a few minutes, before she came on the line.

_~Leon, why are you intimidating my people this morning?~_

"I need you back here as soon as possible. It's time… Edna."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what's your superpower, McGee? Can you fly? That would be cool, or maybe you have laser vision?" Once he got over the shock of their Superhero's identity, he was back in full swing.

"I don't know, Tony."

"What do you mean, you don't know? What kind of powers did your parents have?" DiNozzo was circling McGee as if he expected to see something develop on him while they talked.

Tim sighed and let his chin drop onto his chest. It was obvious that DiNozzo was not going to let this go without an explanation. He raised his voice to be heard by everyone in the lab.

"Okay, guys, I'm only going to explain this once, so listen up. I don't know what kind of powers I'm going to have. They put an implant in my head when I was born to prevent them from developing. I've never met my biological parents, because when the Supers were neutralized, they weren't allowed to keep their children. Tomorrow they're going to remove the implant. If I survive, they don't know how long it will take for my powers to emerge. Right now, you know as much as I do about what I'll be when this is over."

Tony had stopped laughing. "What do you mean 'if you survive', McGee? How successful are they at removing these implants?"

"We'll know tomorrow." McGee was working at the computer as he talked. Abby grabbed his arm, stopping him for a moment.

"Wait a minute, Tim. Just how many of these implants have they removed?"

McGee squeezed her hand before removing it, so he could continue working.  
"By tomorrow night, including mine, they will have removed one."

"One? One?" DiNozzo stared at him "You're the guinea pig?"

"The proper term is experimental research subject." It might have sounded flippant, but anyone looking at McGee would know he was very serious. "Boss, I need you to put your personal information in here."

Gibbs stood in back of him, looking at the screen. "What is all this?"

"I'm transferring all my assets and funds over to you. Remember, I'm not allowed to own anything or to have any access to a bank account."

"Why is that, McGee? I am sorry, but I do not understand. We did not have Superheroes in Israel even before the uprising."

"Some people believe that Superheroes have a genetic drive to help people, but others think that we can't be trusted with our powers, that we'll be tempted to use them for our own gain." A few more clicks of the mouse and Gibbs was now the proud owner of a large portfolio of stocks and bonds.

While the rest of the group stewed on what he had said, McGee gave Ziva another tidbit of fact. "Israel did have Supers, but Mossad didn't play nice with them. Eventually, the UN wouldn't let them have any more."

"Wow." Suddenly being a Superhero wasn't quite as cool as Tony thought it was going to be. "Are you still going to write books?"

"That's up to Gibbs. All decisions of a personal nature will be made by my handler from now on." Tim waited, knowing where DiNozzo's mind would go next.

"You mean he has to approve who you date?"

Gibbs looked flustered at that piece of news. "You're a big boy. I think I'll let you handle that one yourself, McGee."

"Doesn't work that way, Boss. The details have to be on the weekly report."

"Details, oh, that's going to be good." Tony started laughing. "You want me to proofread those reports for you, Boss?"

*Whack*

"That would be a no, DiNozzo."

---NCIS---

Gibbs was furious as he slammed the Marine against the wall and twisted his arm up behind him. "You want to explain to me why Agent McGee's plasma TV is in your car instead of the moving van?"

"Sorry, sir, I just thought…" The corporal looked to his commanding officer for help, but the man was not going to go up against Gibbs.

"No, you didn't think, that was your problem." Gibbs tightened the handcuffs until he could hear the bones grinding in the man's wrists. He called in for a prisoner transfer as he glared at the rest of the moving crew. "If any of you yahoos even think about helping yourself to Agent McGee's belongings, I'll authorize him to use you as target practice. Do I make myself clear?"

The muttered yes sir's told him his point had been made, but Tim pulled Gibbs off to the side to make a point of his own. "It's not a crime to steal from a Super, Boss. Remember, I no longer own anything."

Gibbs thought about it as his anger grew. The idea that a member of his team would now be considered somehow less than human riled him in a way that he never thought possible. "Everything that was once yours is now mine, right?"

McGee nodded and the corporal looked pleased that he was going to get out of this, but Gibbs pressed him back against the wall again. "Well then, Corporal Stenholm, would you like to explain why you were stealing from me?"

---NCIS---

"Are we ready for them?" DiNozzo looked around Gibbs' house as he heard the truck backing into the driveway. Gibbs had sent the rest of the team to prepare his place for the new occupant. One side of the living room had been cleared out to make room for McGee's computers and typewriter and the guest bedroom was empty and ready for his bed. The Marines quickly stacked McGee's belongings in the middle of the living room before hurriedly departing, so Palmer helped Tony lug the mattress and box springs up the stairs and set it up. By the time they were done, Abby, Ziva and McGee had the computers set up and the TV mounted on the living room wall. Tony, of course, had a DVD in his car for the group to watch while they wiped out six extra large pizzas courtesy of Ducky and Vance.

Gibbs had to grin at how the beers became ice cold, but he didn't say anything to the others as the group began to wind down. Ducky was the one to turn the conversation to a serious nature. "We are to be at Bethesda at 0500, Timothy, are you ready for this?"

"Would it matter if I wasn't?" Tim watched the condensation run down the side of the bottle in his hand. "There's no point in putting it off. The last thing I want to do is give Kort more ammunition to take me from NCIS." He looked up at Vance, who nodded in understanding.

"I'm taking your team off the active rotation for a few weeks until we know what's going to happen with McGee." If the group was expecting Gibbs to object, they were mistaken.

It was almost midnight before Gibbs was able to close the door behind the last of the team, locking it for the first time in years.

"Boss?"

"I had to wrestle a Marine to get that television; I'm sure not going to lose it to some neighborhood punk." It was the right thing to say as McGee grinned and shook his head, before handing a paper to Gibbs. "One more thing for you to sign, Boss."

"A DNR form? Tim, no, you can't be serious." Gibbs refused to take the page.

"It needs both of our signatures." Tim rubbed his forehead as he explained. "If I'm that badly damaged tomorrow, well I'd rather be dead than one of Kort's experiments."

"I'm not going to hand you over to him, no matter what."

"Boss, you won't have a choice. Any Super that becomes too badly damaged to be effective out in the field is immediately turned over to the research division." Gibbs didn't have an answer as he signed the Do Not Resuscitate order.

---NCIS---

The team, along with Vance, arrived at Bethesda the next morning to support McGee. Even Tony was serious as they sat in Tim's hospital room. Ducky walked through the door accompanied by the neurologist sent by Homeland Security. Everyone other than Gibbs was chased out while he was examined by the two doctors before a nurse prepped him for the procedure. A small patch on the back of his head was shaved and, much to his embarrassment, a catheter was placed before he was wheeled into the operating room.

Wearing a gown, mask and gloves, Gibbs was allowed to be in the room, much to his surprise. The first thing he noticed was a lack of anesthesia equipment. "Is he going to be awake for this?"

Ducky tried to reassure him. "He'll be given a local, Jethro. They tell me that he won't feel anything." Gibbs was anything but reassured as he watched several big, burley orderlies tightly strap McGee face down on the tipped surgical table. Once the local was given, a chair was rolled in for Gibbs so he could be where McGee would see him.

Gibbs would not have considered himself a squeamish man, but watching the probe twist and turn as it entered Tim's skull was almost more than he could take. As he was encouraged, he kept up a stream of chatter to distract McGee as much as himself. He knew the second they grasped the implant, as that triggered a seizure. It took almost an hour to pull the implant out of Tim's head, an hour that was made even longer by the half dozen seizures he suffered.

Once Tim was moved to a recovery room. Ducky chased Gibbs out for some fresh air, and Vance met him at the door. "Jethro, I'd like you to meet Hetty Lang from the Office of Special Projects out in Los Angeles."

"Vance, this really isn't a good time."

The Director ignored his plea for privacy as he continued. "The OSP will be coordinating McGee's transition and your training." The tiny woman looked him up and down through her bifocals.

"So, you're the one our Timothy has chosen to be his handler. I would have preferred one of my boys to fill that role. Well, I suppose you'll have to do."

"You know McGee?" There was something about her that made Gibbs want to step back, but he held his ground. "He's never mentioned you and you weren't there when we were at OSP a few months ago."

She waved her hand at him. "Of course I was watching you. Leon was convinced that Timothy would choose you when the time came." She smirked at him. "We will get to know each other very well, Jethro Gibbs."


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n - Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. They do make my day, especially since this is my least read story to date. Oh, well, I like what I've done with this so far. Don't worry if you haven't seen the Incredibles or NCIS:LA. There will be some inside jokes you may not fully get but that's about it. One of the Supers from the Incredibles bore a striking resemblence to Vance, so I have used him and his powers for Vance. The character of Edna in the Incredibles made their clothing and knew more about them than anyone. She looks exactly like the actress that plays Hetty, who runs the LA office. Everything beyone that about the characters here is pretty much from my head. **

The soft beeping had been unchanged for hours. "Shouldn't he be awake by now, Ducky?" The rest of the group had visited and been chased back to headquarters by Vance, leaving just Gibbs and Ducky. Even Hettie had mysteriously smiled before disappearing.

Ducky had to smile at his old friend. Gibbs still hadn't grasped how much his life was going to change. "Jethro, between the surgery and the seizures, he will probably sleep the rest of the day. Now, this might be a good idea to talk about how this is going to affect you and your relationship with Timothy."

"Me? Nothing's changing for me, Duck. It's McGee that has to deal with all this." His words might have been taken more seriously if he wasn't hovering like a new parent over the sleeping man.

"You've always been a father figure to your agents, you know that. Now, in many ways, you will be Timothy's father."

Gibbs shook his head, refusing to make the connection. "McGee's a grown man and he has a father of his own."

"As a human, McGee was a grown man." Ducky paused, waiting for Gibbs to look up at him. "As a Superhero, he's a child. When his powers develop, it will be like taking his first steps all over again. In a very real way, you are going to be raising the lad to be the Superhero everyone expects him to be."

"I haven't been a father in a very long time, Ducky." He reached down and brushed the hair back out of Tim's eyes. "I'm not sure I'm up to the task."

---NCIS---

"Okay, Jackson I've got you down for invisibility." Receipt in hand, Jackson walked off, happy.

"You are running a pool on what powers McGee will have?" Ziva slammed her hands down on DiNozzo's desk. "Gibbs will have your head."

"Oh, lighten up, Ziva. Everybody's curious, so what did you expect?" Tony checked the tally sheet once more before sliding it into his desk drawer. His partner shoved at him in frustration.

"How would you like it if it were you? Have you read the manual? Do you understand the restrictions he will have to live under?"

Tony rubbed at his arm. He never understood what would set the Mossad woman off sometimes. "Okay, some of it really sucks, but he gets to have superpowers. Aren't you just a little bit jealous about that?"

"They're setting up a breeding program." She started pacing in front of Tony's desk, shaking the manual at him. "Gibbs will have to negotiate with other handlers and choose a female Super for McGee to mate with. McGee will have no choice in the matter."

"Gee, he'll have to have supersex? Is there a downside to this? Come on, Ziva." Tony turned serious. "This is Gibbs we're talking about. Do you honestly think he's going to let anything bad happen to Probie? He'll be fine."

"Yes, this is Gibbs." Ziva tossed the book on the bookshelf and sat on the edge of Tony's desk, crossing her arms. "The confirmed bachelor who becomes so driven about a case that he forgets everything else. McGee will be totally dependant on him. He won't even have money for food unless Gibbs remembers to give it to him."

"So we spot McGee lunch once in a while. We tease Gibbs every Monday about giving the kid his weekly allowance. We've always had each other's backs; nothing's changed."

---NCIS---

"Here, I thought you could use this." Gibbs gratefully took the coffee Vance handed him. "Has he been awake at all?"

"Not really. They've come in and checked on him a few times but they don't seem worried about it yet." Gibbs watched the other man over the rim of his cup. "How'd you manage it?"

Vance was pretty sure where this conversation was headed, but he played along. "Manage what?"

"Keeping your powers."

Technically, it was a need to know subject, but Vance figured that Gibbs would need to know if he were to help McGee adjust to his new life. "After the uprising, each country chose what to do with their Supers. Officially, we were all deactivated."

Gibbs really didn't want to know what they meant by deactivation. "And unofficially?"

"A few of us were put in what they called stand-by mode. We were allowed to keep our powers as long as we didn't use them. Occasionally we would be sent on a covert mission." Leon looked down at the newly reactivated Super sleeping on the bed. "Now, the terrorist threat is too big for the few of us they kept around."

"Can you dig around and find out what happened to his real parents?"

"I don't have to dig around." Vance had a sad smile on his face as he straightened the blankets covering McGee. "His father was Hawkfire." No further explanation was needed. The story was well known. Hawkfire had sacrificed himself to stop the nuclear warhead that would have destroyed Kaunas and devastated most of Eastern Europe.

The grief on Vance's face was for more than a public figure. "You knew him?"

"Hawk taught me everything I know about being a Superhero. He took this skinny-assed boy who thought it was funny to make ice bombs, and made a man out of me. I owe him everything."

"It wasn't a coincidence that McGee ended up at NCIS, is it?" More things were falling into place, like Vance's immediate trust of McGee when he moved him to cybercrimes.

"I'd kept an eye on him all these years, and by the time he'd graduated from FLETC I had enough pull to get him hired. It wasn't hard; he had a pretty impressive resume already. The hardest thing was getting him before Kort did."

"What happens now?"

"He recovers and we see what happens. Hetty and I will give you both all the help you need." Vance picked up his coat and prepared to leave. Gibbs had one more question.

"Hetty Lang, what's her connection to all this?"

Vance stopped at the door and turned around. "She wasn't always Hetty, and she knows more about Supers than anyone else around."

---NCIS---

"Hey, Boss, how's he doing?" Tony poked his head in the door and then stumbled through as Ziva pushed him the rest of the way in.

Ziva closed the door behind them before walking over to the bed. "Hello, Gibbs. We spoke to Vance, has there been any change since he was here?"

"He woke up a couple of hours ago, puked nonstop until they gave him something that put him out again." He didn't try to hide his concern. "The doctors are starting to get worried."

"You have been here all day, Gibbs. Why not take a break? Tony and I will stay with him if you'd like."

It was tempting, except for one problem. "No, I'm his handler, I need to stay here. Besides, Kort's been keeping pretty close tabs on him all day."

"McGee belongs to NCIS, not to the CIA. There's nothing they can do to take him from us."

"Nothing, DiNozzo, except question my fitness as his handler. I'm not going to risk a custody battle, not when his life is at stake." A soft moan from the bed stopped anything else he was going to say. Gibbs sat on the edge of the bed and watched intently as the green eyes slowly opened.

"B'ss?"

"Welcome back, McGee. How do you feel?" Behind him, Gibbs heard the door open as several nurses and the doctor came in. He stepped back to let them check on McGee. The young man still sounded disorientated but was able to answer their questions before drifting back off to sleep again.

"Well?" Gibbs glanced unobtrusively at the doctor's nametag while he tried to remember his name. Dr. Weber looked more encouraged than he had on any of his last visits.

"He appears to be finally stabilizing, but as I told Mr. Kort earlier it is not going to be a quick or an easy process. An entire part of his brain has been jumpstarted, for the lack of a better term. That is a major shock to his system, but the fact that he made it through without suffering a stroke is a very good sign."

"Mr. Kort? Why were you discussing my man's medical care with Mr. Kort?" Gibbs' voice was low and dangerous, but the other man didn't pick up on it.

"He's from the agency and he said he was to be kept informed."

"He's not from our agency, and he has no say in McGee's care. I'm McGee's handler and you only talk to me about his care from this point on. Do I make myself clear?" As he explained the facts to him, Gibbs backed the doctor across the room and out into the hallway. "Now, if you can't put aside your need to kowtow to Kort, don't bother coming back in."

Gibbs stormed back in the room, breathing hard. "Umm, Boss?"

"What, DiNozzo?"

Tony bit back the urge to hide behind Ziva. "Maybe you shouldn't piss off the doctor before we get McGee out of here?"

"Ya think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs circled, rubbing at his face. "Get Ducky down here to keep an eye on this guy."

---NCIS---

"Agent Gibbs?"

He was surprised it had taken this long for her to show up. "Hello, Sarah."

Other than a brief flicker towards the bed, her eyes never left Gibbs face. "I see he survived the procedure." There was something off about both her posture and her words, and Gibbs watched closely.

"It was rough at first, but he's doing better now. Would you like to sit with him for a while?" She was very nervous, but he still didn't know why.

"What are your intentions towards my brother, Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs choked, but he managed to not laugh at her question. "My intentions, Sarah?"

"He signed himself over to you." She was obviously agitated as she paced, refusing to even look at the man who had been her brother for all these year. "You could do anything you want to him and he has no control. You could beat him bloody and get away with it because it would be considered training or discipline…"

"Whoa, Sarah, whoa," he couldn't listen to any more without responding. "I am not going to hurt him. I agreed to this so I could protect him. Now I don't know what rumors are going around the school about Superheroes, but Director Vance and I are both going to make sure that Tim's life is as normal as possible."

"Normal? Normal? He's agreed to become a freak of nature that his own government is afraid of, what in the hell is normal about that? He and Dad fought about it all weekend, Dad wanted him to take the third option rather than become this." Before Gibbs could ask her what she meant, she burst into tears and ran out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n - Thanks all, your comments are very much appreciated.**

"Have you been here all night?" It was just past daybreak when Leon Vance and his wife slipped through the door.

Gibbs sat up as he tried to wipe the grit out of his eyes. "Yeah, well with Kort hanging around I didn't think it was safe to leave him alone." He didn't wait for the question he knew was coming. "He is doing better; the last time he woke up he knew where he was."

"That's good, that's really good." Vance quietly moved to the side of the bed to check for himself. McGee's color was indeed better and his sleep wasn't as restless as it had been the last time Vance saw him.

"What's the third option?" Gibbs watched to see the reaction. Vance cursed under his breath and hung his head. Sure he was onto something, he pressed on. "McGee's sister was here last night. Apparently his father wanted him to choose the third option."

Jackie stepped in before Vance could answer. "This probably isn't the place for that conversation. Why don't you two take a break and I'll stay with Tim." When Gibbs started to object, she dropped a bombshell of her own. "From one handler to another, take a break Jethro, you need it."

Vance grinned at the stunned expression but didn't say anything until he had Gibbs out of the room and down the hall. "I'm not henpecked, I'm handled."

Once they had their coffee and had found a secluded bench, Gibbs repeated his question. "Tell me about the options, Leon."

"All right," Vance sighed and pointed over his shoulder at the hospital. "When the activation order came through, they were all given three choices. What McGee did was option one. He allowed the implant to be removed and signed himself over to the government. It's kind of like joining the military without an end date or a retirement clause." When his attempted joke fell flat, Vance kept going. "Option two was lifetime incarceration in a secure, energy shielded facility."

"Prison? For the crime of being Super?"

"Jethro, people are scared. What would happen if a couple of Supers were kidnapped and reactivated by a terrorist cell? The government decided it wasn't worth the risk."

Gibbs was discovering just how difficult of a position McGee had been in before he'd agreed to have the implant removed. "And the third option?"

"Voluntary termination."

"Voluntary… suicide? You're talking about suicide? The third option was to kill himself, and that's what his father wanted him to do?" At some point in his tirade, Gibbs tossed his coffee and started pacing back and forth. "His own father told him to kill himself, Leon. What kind of man does that?"

Vance leaned back against the bench with his hands buried deep in his pockets. "I never approved of the family they placed Tim with."

"And you didn't do anything about it?" Gibbs fell back into his seat. "Why the hell not?"

"All those years ago? I didn't have enough clout to do anything about it back then." Leon shoved a toothpick between his teeth before he shook his head. "Hawk and Star wanted me to be his godfather and when it came down to it, I couldn't do a damn thing to help their son."

Gibbs wanted to hit something. "So the McGee's were abusive?"

Understanding the anger, Vance chose his words carefully. "Not abusive, but rigid."

"Rigid?"

Vance struggled to find a way to explain what he still didn't agree with. "The children who were too young to remember were placed with families who were at least somewhat anti-Supers."

"Why in the hell would they do that?" Gibbs never claimed to understand politicians, but to him that was barbaric.

"The idea was that if the kids didn't know about their latent abilities they would have a better shot at growing up normal."

It seemed insane to hide such a basic fact from these children. "And in McGee's case?"

"Ian McGee was a little more than somewhat anti-Supers. Tim grew up hearing stories about how Supers could cause disasters because they couldn't control their powers."

"McGee already has enough confidence issues."

"Well you're going to have your work cut out for you, then. If he doesn't have the confidence to control his powers, they could kill him. That's why I was so glad he asked for you to be his handler."

Gibbs leaned his elbows on his knees, rubbing his jaw. "You think I can make him confident? Me?"

"You took an unbelievably green rookie and turned him into a damn good agent."

"McGee did that on his own."

Ever since his first steps up the bureaucratic ladder, Vance had been aware of how obtuse Gibbs could be at times, but now he didn't have the time to play the game. "Because he worships the ground you walk on, Gibbs. Because you were the first one to see him as more than just a geek. And because," he waited until Gibbs was looking at him, "your approval means a hell of a lot more to him than Ian McGee's ever did."

---NCIS---

"Agent David, could you sign this for me? We're trying to get all the women in the building to sign it before they bring it in." Ziva took the petition from Maggie Wheeler. She hardly knew the woman, only that she worked in building maintenance.

It took all of Ziva's willpower to keep her voice even as she spoke loud enough for Tony to hear the discussion. "A petition to have lead shielding installed in the women's restroom? I'm not sure I understand; are you expecting a radiation storm to hit DC?"

"No, I told you it was for when 'it' arrives." Wheeler was whispering, but Tony had picked up on the conversation as Ziva had hoped, and was now paying close attention. When Ziva didn't say anything, Wheeler continued. "You know, that Super you people are getting, well, we don't want it to be able to watch us in bathroom."

It was all she could do to keep a straight face, especially with Tony's expression standing behind Wheeler. "You are worried that a Superhero is going to spy on you in the bathroom? With everything going on in the world, you honestly think that's his priority?"

Wheeler didn't pick up on Ziva's emphasis on the word 'his'. "Well, it has to have a handler, so obviously they don't trust…"

"Actually," Tony was going to let Ziva deal with the woman, but he'd reached his limit. "The reason he has a handler is because of the many women who want to have him. His handler's job is to screen the applicants." He gave his trademark grin. "I was hoping to get the leftovers, but he is super after all."

Ziva folded the petition and put it in her jacket pocket. "When he arrives, you will refer to our new Super by his designation, which is special agent. Oh, and I'll be sure to let the Director know about your concerns." She had no doubt as to the topic of the next mandatory sensitivity training session.

Ducky came up behind the group with an approving smile on his face as he added his own comments. "Goodness, my dear, you don't think this is the first Super we've gotten, do you? It's a little late worrying about such things now." Flustered and outnumbered, Wheeler ran out of the squad room.

Once she was gone, the two agents exchanged high fives. "Nobody messes with our Probie but us." Ducky smiled as Tony continued, "You were just messing with us right? About there being a Super already here."

Ducky continued to smile. "You've worked with him for quite some time."

"We have?"

"Really?"

The smile turned knowing as Ducky returned downstairs.

---NCIS---

"Good morning, Timothy, how are you feeling?"

"Mrs. Vance, what are you doing here?" McGee struggled to sit up until a sharp pain in his head forced him back down.

"Easy, lay still Tim. Is it all right for me to call you Tim?" She reached for the call button as he cautiously nodded. When a nurse responded, Jackie was very direct with her. "Agent McGee is suffering from a neural rebound migraine. Would you please bring the medications Dr. Weber authorized for him?"

An efficient nurse had the medications inserted in McGee's IV before he was even aware of her coming through the door. Cool fingers on his forehead reminded him of his grandmother when he was a child.

"Would you like me to call Jethro back for you?"

"No, he's been here the whole time, deserves a break." He didn't sound convincing, so she used the excuse her daughter always used that texts weren't the same as calls. Tim was quiet for a few more minutes before he spoke again.

"Do you regret it? Being a handler, I mean, do you regret agreeing to it?"

---NCIS---

Vance had actually convinced Gibbs to eat something when he received a text from his wife. The grimace when he read it prepared Gibbs for some bad news.

"What?"

"McGee's been hit by one of those migraines they warned us about."

Gibbs was instantly on his feet. "I need to get back."

Even as he argued, Vance was picking up the Styrofoam trays of food. At least hospital food was portable. "They've given him the pain meds and he's fine. Jackie's with him, remember?"

"He's my responsibility, Leon." Nothing more was said. When they reached the door to McGee's room, Vance grabbed Gibbs' arm to prevent him from opening it as they overheard Tim's question.

_~Do you regret it? Being a handler, I mean, do you regret agreeing to it?~_

---NCIS---

"Regret it? Why on earth would you think… are you worried that Jethro will regret it?" Jackie Vance had been around Superheroes for all of her adult life, but Tim's question floored her.

Tim restlessly picked at a speck of lint on his blanket. "Gibbs is such a private person and it's not like he was really given a choice."

She leaned down to make Tim look up at her, an effective method she'd perfected with her children. "I don't think anyone makes Jethro Gibbs do anything he doesn't want to do."

As hoped, that brought a chuckle, just for a moment. "He's never even read the manuals. Vance told him that Kort was on his way to take me if Gibbs didn't agree to be my handler."

Jackie immediately knew what the problem was. "You're afraid that when he realizes what he's gotten himself into, he'll resent it."

"I wouldn't blame him." Now he sounded like the lost little boy she had expected when Leon had told her a new Super was developing.

"You asked what my biggest regret is about being Leon's handler. It's that I can't be out there with him in the field. Oh, sure, it's better now that he spends most days in an office, but that fear is still there." Now that she had his attention, she kept going. "Gibbs strikes me as the kind of man who is the most passionate about protecting his country and his team. Am I right?"

"Yeah, but…" Anything else was swallowed up in a huge yawn.

"No buts," she kissed him on the top of the head as she pulled the covers up further. "When your powers develop, you're going to be amazed at what you can accomplish and he's going to be able to help you do it. Gibbs is exactly where he wants to be, even if he doesn't know it yet. Trust me, every pair finds their own way. The two of you will, too."


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n - Thank you all, I am glad you are enjoying this story. A few complications are developing for poor Tim (What? This is an Emerald story, you didn't think it would be easy for him?) plus some "complications" in the plot. Have fun and get ready, there will be a meaty chapter tomorrow.**

"Where's the dog?"

"Good morning to you too, Jethro."

"Not in the mood, Duck."

"Apparently not." Ducky set aside the scalpel and turned his attention to the agitated man standing next to him. He glanced up at the wall clock before pulling off his gloves. "It is almost noon, so he is probably settling down for a nap after a long morning of chasing birds in my backyard."

"Your place." Gibbs sighed and dropped his head down. "I didn't even think about him until a little while ago. Why didn't McGee say anything about bringing the dog with him? Why'd he think I'd make him give the dog away?"

Ducky reached out and patted Gibbs on the arm. "Timothy is very unsure of himself at the moment. After all, it's not every day one gets his membership to the human race revoked."

"A week ago I'd have thought that was a joke. What do I do, old man? Should I have the dog at my place when McGee comes home from the hospital or should I wait for him to bring it up to me?" Gibbs eyed Ducky as the older man moved off to start a pot of tea.

Ducky didn't turn towards him, but he did speak up enough to be heard as he prepared the tea. "Neither. I'd recommend that you talk to him as soon as possible. The two of you have to find a common ground to develop a working relationship as Super and handler."

"We've had a fine working relationship for years. I'm not going to let some racist, preconceived notions by idiots that don't matter change that. McGee's a fine agent and part of a great team, these new powers will just add to that." Gibbs sat and accepted the tea he detested as he waited for Ducky to agree with him.

"Do you honestly think it's going to be that simple, Jethro."

"We're going to make it that simple. Now I'm going upstairs and knock some head together. Did you know anything about this damn pool DiNozzo's running?"

He had wondered how long it would take Gibbs to find out. Ducky kept all traces of amusement out of his voice. "Yes, I know about it. In fact I have twenty dollars on telekinesis, and I believe Abby's is astral projections."

At this point, Gibbs wasn't even aware of what he was drinking. "I can't believe you're encouraging this."

"Jethro," Ducky leaned forward in his chair, resting his chin on his fist. "They are having some fun with it. Let them."

"You can't be serious."

"I am quite serious. The last time there was a pool it was about Mark Balboa's impending fatherhood. If I recall, you had twenty on surprise twins and Mark passing out in the delivery room."

"Oh, come on. That was a whole lot different."

"Was it?" Ducky waited while Gibbs processed what had been said so far before he reminded him of some facts he already knew. "The pool is a time honored tradition. Timothy's friends are curious and anticipating what will happen. They are excited for him, even if they don't understand the down side of what he will experience."

Realistically, Gibbs knew that those who would hate McGee for what he was wouldn't bother with the office pool. "So, let it go?"

"Let it go. In the meantime, Jethro is perfectly welcome to stay with me. Contessa has been very lonely since Tyson passed and she's enjoying his company."

---NCIS---

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kort, the court held up NCIS's right to keep McGee."

Trent Kort didn't turn when his assistant announced the results. As he stared out the window, watching his assistant's reflection in the glass, he smiled. "I'm not worried about it Mara. There's always plan B. Gibbs and Vance will have their hands full with a thirty year old pre-pubescent Superhero. By the time they realize, it will be too late."

The third occupant of the room was not so certain. "We could take him by force before his powers develop."

"Do you want all of NCIS snooping around your business? If you'd allowed me to bring Gibbs in on this we wouldn't have this problem."

The tall man standing in the shadows snorted at the suggestion. "Gibbs is too much of a boy scout, he'd never have gone for it."

"Well, that is where we disagree. I think he's so much of a boy scout that he would have agreed to help up." Kort knew it was useless to try to change his mind, but he wanted his objections on the record.

---NCIS---

"You ready to get out of here?" Gibbs held the wheelchair steady as McGee climbed into the seat. It had been four days since the implant was removed, but he was still weak and suffering from the rebound migraines the neurologist had warned them about.

Tim closed his eyes as soon as he was in the wheelchair. Ever since the surgery, movement caused a wave of dizziness. It was improving, but it still turned his stomach every time he stood up. "Yeah, I'm ready." His stomach had just settled when it was time to get back up and into Gibbs' car.

Knowing Gibbs' tendency for wild driving, the new Super kept his eyes closed as they drove, not even peeking until the engine was shut off. They were in Ducky's driveway. "Boss?"

"Here," he handed over a bag of dog toys and rawhide chew treats. "Your dog is too much of a gentleman, he lets Contessa have all of his treats." The grin he received was the happiest he'd seen from McGee since before all this had started.

---NCIS---

"You're not happy."

"Really, Leon, whatever gave you that idea?" Hetty always made him feel like a naughty school boy when she gave him that look. "At some point, the boy and his handler will have to come back to LA. It might as well be now, before his powers develop."

Vance held his ground. "His support system is here. Unless you want to bring his entire team with you, he stays here until his training requires him to go out west. Or, are you admitting that you're ready to tell him?"

"His parents are beyond reach, there is no point in telling him the rest."

"I've told Jethro about Hawk." He watched carefully, but there was no reaction. "We haven't told Tim anything yet, but we won't lie to him when he does start asking questions."

She tried to look insulted at the implication. "Of course I don't expect you to lie to the boy."

"You also don't expect him to ask the right question, either."

---NCIS---

Jethro could sense his owner becoming tired, and dropped down at his feet, rolling over for the expected belly rub. McGee obliged, much to the dog's delight.

"Are you angry with me?"

Gibbs has watched him work up to the question for the last hour, so he wasn't all that surprised when it came. "He's your dog, it was your decision, but I am disappointed." When McGee looked up, startled, he voiced what he'd been preparing for the last several days. "I don't blame you for thinking the worst of the world right now, but don't lump us all in it."

Tim shook his head as he disagreed. "Boss, I'm not, I don't…"

"If you were going to stay with me for a few weeks while your apartment was being repaired, would you have decided to give him away?" Gibbs hoped he could get his point across without a lot of mush.

"Well, no, but it's not going to be just a few weeks, and…"

"And?"

McGee couldn't believe how dense the man was pretending to be. "And I've disrupted your life enough already, Boss."

"What part of my life would that be? The part where I spend my nights drinking bourbon and building a boat?" Gibbs gave a wry smile as he explained the obvious. "You're going to do some amazing things for this country, McGee. Being part of that isn't a bad thing, at least not to me."

"You really don't mind all of this?"

"Mind? McGee, when I was a kid, being a Superhero was considered the coolest thing that could happen to a person. I may not ever get to be a Superhero, but you're as close as I'm ever going to get." He patted Tim's knee as he climbed to his feet. "Now, I understand that it is considered safer if he's not at the house when your powers are coming in, but as soon as it's okay, we'll fence in the yard and bring him home. Okay?"

"Thanks, Boss."

"It's your home now too, Tim, even if I have to beat in into your head." He reached down and pulled McGee up onto his feet. "So, let's go home, you're looking tired."


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n - This should thicken the plot a tad. Thanks for all the great reviews, I am looking forward to revealing his powers soon. Enjoy, and I'll see you guys tomorrow. It's officially the holiday season here because I made my first three loaves of my annual holiday eggnog bread over the weekend. Yummy.**

"You wanted to see us, Sir?" DiNozzo was very formal as he entered Vance's office, Ziva at his heels.

Vance was leaning back in his chair and tossed a file onto his desk, near DiNozzo. "I want the two of you to start monitoring this group."

Ziva was reading over Tony's shoulder. "Is there any indication they are going to target McGee?"

"Sarah McGee was seen near their headquarters this morning. I don't want Tim worrying about this right now, but I don't want him in any danger from them either."

"The Superhero Rescue Alliance, are they for real?" DiNozzo had finished flipping through the pages and returned to the first page to read more carefully. "Do you really think that Sarah is going to try and kidnap her own brother?"

"Are you willing to ignore the possibility?" Now that he had their attention, Vance leaned forward, resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. "How will he feel if she shows up with a couple of muscle men to overpower Gibbs and take him?"

"Crap, this could get really ugly."

Ziva nodded in agreement with her partner. "Do you want us to pick up Sarah and have a talk with her?"

His phone call with the local LEO's from McGee's home town had not given him any real hope. "Maybe, but not yet. Let's see what she does. If she is just trying to protect him, then it won't be so bad, but if she believes what her father says, then we've got a major problem."

Something in Vance's tone set off alarms in Tony's head. "How major?"

A week ago, Leon would not have told DiNozzo much of anything. Since then, he had been watching the rest of Gibbs' team very closely. The jokes and the teasing still bothered him on some levels, but beneath that he saw the awareness of how others responded to McGee.

The names on the restroom petition had been quickly separated between the misinformed and the troublemakers. The misinformed had been quickly educated, while the others had been shown the errors of their ways. All that was left for Vance was to sign a few transfer requests, which he had done willingly. "We already knew that McGee's father actively encouraged him to take the third option."

"The third option?"

Ziva answered Tony before Vance could. "Self-termination."

Sick to his stomach at the thought of his friend having that kind of conversation with his adoptive father, Tony almost missed the rest of Vance's words. "It got bad enough that the local police were called in by the neighbors."

"The argument was that loud?" Ziva couldn't remember the last time she'd heard McGee raise his voice.

"His father wasn't willing to accept his decision; apparently he tried to end it for him."

"He tried to kill Tim? Damn it, is he still in custody?"

Ziva was the first to interpret Vance's expression. "He did not press charges, did he?"

"No he didn't.

---NCIS---

Gibbs smoothly pulled the car into his driveway, grinning to himself about how his team would react to his driving. It may not happen very often, but occasionally he could drive like this. In the seat next to him, McGee slept peacefully, tired from both his days in the hospital and his visit with Jethro. He didn't bother trying to wake the other man until he had the passenger door open. "McGee, can you get up the stairs?" Tim nodded without even opening his eyes.

Just to be safe, Gibbs held onto him until they were upstairs and McGee was safely in his bedroom. He didn't have to ask how bad the headache was, it was etched on McGee's face. By the time Gibbs returned with a glass of water and the prescribed pills, Tim had stripped down and was climbing into bed. He could feel the heat rolling off the younger man as he handed him the glass.

"Are you running a fever? When did that start?" It had been many years, but instinctively he pressed the back of his fingers against the warm forehead.

Tim cracked open his eyes. "I'm okay, just a little warm from the car." Neither of them mentioned the shaking of the hand that reached out for the pills or the fact that Gibbs had to help him hold the glass.

The second the bedroom door closed behind him, Gibbs was on the phone, summoning Ducky.

---NCIS---

Ducky made a few phone calls of his own as he left his house, so he was not alone when he arrived at Gibbs'. A dark green Lexus pulled in back of him as he climbed out of his car. "Leon, Mrs. Vance," he gave the shortest greeting as he rushed into the house, "send Mr. Palmer up as soon as he arrives."

"Jackie, help Dr. Mallard." Vance waited on the porch, seeing several more familiar cars coming down the street. Once the group joined him, he started barking out orders. "Mr. Palmer, you and Abby will have to run whatever tests are needed. We do not want to take him back to the hospital unless there's no other choice. DiNozzo, get the box from the trunk of my car and then you help Gibbs with McGee. David, why don't you start some coffee, it's going to be a long night."

Abby was helping Jimmy unload lab equipment from the back of his car. "What's happening to him, Leon?"

"I don't know, Miss Sciuto, I just don't know."

They all moved into the house as she continued to ply him with questions. "What about the other Supers, is this happening to them?"

The news wasn't good; they could see that even before he spoke. "The Supers who had their powers before the implants were placed are having no problems. The children who have had the procedure…" He let out a huff of air, trying to decide the best way to explain.

Tony wasn't willing to give him time to debate. "How bad?"

"They've done four more of the children, since Tim's surgery. Two died in the operating room and one was brain dead a few hours after the surgery was completed, and the fourth," Leon hung his head as he continued. "The fourth young man suffered some sort of psychotic break and threw himself out of the window before anyone could stop him."

"That's not going to happen to McGee, is it?"

'We're not going to let it happen, Abby." Tony answered before Vance could draw a breath.

"We most certainly are not going to let that happen." As a group, they all turned to stare at the new arrival. Hetty Lang circled the room, giving them each an appraising look before she set her bag on the floor. "We are not going to lose him, is that understood?"

As they all murmured their agreement, Jackie leaned over the upstairs railing. "Leon, we need ice, lots of ice."

Hetty immediately took over. "You two, DiNozzo and David, carry the ice upstairs for Leon. You," she pointed at Jimmy, "get upstairs and help Dr. Mallard with the samples, and you," she turned and pointed at Abby, "Let's get the equipment set up."

Everyone scrambled to their assigned tasks. Tony went straight to the freezer in Gibbs' kitchen. "I don't think the Boss keeps a lot of ice on hand, I'll have to make a run to the store."

"I do not believe that will be necessary, Tony."

Tony started to ask Ziva what she meant when he saw the Director standing over the sink, turning the stream of water into perfectly formed chunks of ice and instead, started digging through the drawers for plastic bags. When Ziva headed upstairs with an arm load of bags, Tony let a grin slip through. "You must have been a lot of fun at frat parties back in the day, sir."

---NCIS---

Ziva entered the bedroom to find organized chaos. McGee was only vaguely aware of his surroundings as Gibbs and Palmer held him in a tightly curled ball while Ducky eased a needle into his spine. Jackie Vance was wiping his face with a wet cloth as she encouraged him to hold on. Ducky worked quickly and efficiently to draw a sample of spinal fluid. Once the needle was withdrawn, Jimmy took the syringe and the vials of blood from the nightstand and rushed out of the room.

Gibbs eased Tim back down onto the bed and Jackie took one of the bags from Ziva. "You've treated someone for heatstroke before, right?"

More times than she was willing to count, but Ziva just nodded and started to place the bags of ice. While Jackie dumped ice in the water she was using, Ziva tucked an ice pack against each of McGee's armpits. She started to put the third ice bag in place, but knowing how embarrassed the young man would be, Gibbs took it from her and slid it under the sheet himself.

Once Jackie had the cool compresses replaced on his face and neck, Ducky rechecked his temperature. He gave Gibbs a worried look. "If his temperature doesn't stop rising soon, we will have to take more drastic actions."

---NCIS---

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God."

"Abby, what is it?" Jimmy wanted to shake her while she stared through the microscope, chanting. Hetty had even less patience and moved the much taller woman out of the way to look for herself. Once she was looking at him, Jimmy repeated the question. "Abby, what is it?"

Abby chewed on her lip as she tried to explain what she had been looking at. "It's not an infection; it's like his red blood cells are tearing themselves apart and transforming."

"That is exactly what is happening, Miss Sciuto." Hetty turned away from the microscope and started pulling vials out of her bag. Once the viewfinder was free, Jimmy took his turn at the microscope. Vance and Tony watched from the kitchen doorway.

He watched as the small red spheres twisted and tumbled as they divided and reformed. "Wow, I've never seen anything like it. Is this because his powers are starting to develop?"

Hetty found the vial she needed, and was staring at it in her hand. It was small, only one full dose. "Yes, it is." They scrambled to their feet to follow her up the stairs. Vance and Tony were right on their heels, Vance asking questions.

"It's not Kayhan's Syndrome, is it? What about Mallot's?"

Instead of answering him, Hetty entered the bedroom and handed Ducky the vial. "It's all I have; we'll have to stretch it out into two doses and continue to treat the symptoms."

"What is happening to him?"

It was Gibbs question that she finally answered. "When a Superhero is born, their powers are just a fraction of what they will be when they are grown. It takes years for them to fully develop."

"It's happening all at once for McGee, isn't it?" Vance remembered his own childhood and the stages his own abilities went through. "His body can't handle the stress."

Gibbs didn't like the sound of that as he watched Ducky prepare the injection. "How do we help him, what are you giving him?"

"It should temporarily inhibit his powers, at least partially. Unfortunately, this is all I have."

Ducky gave more detail to Hetty's explanation. "If we are able to slow down the development of his powers, it will give his body more time to adjust." Once he had given Tim the shot, he rechecked his temperature. "It's still climbing. Ziva, I need you to fill the bathtub with tepid water, the ice packs aren't enough. Leon, as soon as we have him in the water, start icing it."

Gibbs gently sat McGee up, letting the feverish head rest against his shoulder as he shifted him around. Tony helped and the two of them grasped each other's wrists under Tim to carry him into the small bathroom. It was crowded and Ziva left to make room for them as they eased him into the tub. Gibbs kicked off his shoes and climbed in, sitting on the back corner of the tub to support the semi-conscious man as Vance slowly stirred the water, dropping the temperature.

Tony refused to leave, instead perching on the edge of the sink as Ducky continued to monitor Tim's condition. The tub was filled with more ice than water by now and he was as worried about Gibbs as he was McGee. Finally, Ducky was satisfied and they prepared to lift Tim. This time it was Vance, who lifted him like a small child. With Tony's help, Gibbs stood and climbed out of the tub. Ducky dried Tim as much as possible and wrapped several towels around him before turning his attention to Gibbs.

"I'm all right, take care of McGee." Ducky didn't look convinced as Gibbs stumbled, but Tony had him and was steering him towards the master bedroom.

"We'll take care of him, Boss, but you need to take a hot shower and get warmed up." Gibbs wanted to argue, but since he couldn't feel his feet, he knew DiNozzo was right.


	7. Chapter 7

**Shorter, but powerful, is how I would describe today's chapter. Now, what will Tony do with the clues? Thanks, all.**

"Come on, Ducky says round two is going to start in a few hours." Tony tugged on Ziva's sleeve to encourage her to join him as he headed out to the car.

Curious and concerned, Ziva followed him out the door. "If McGee is going to be ill again when the drugs wear off, should we not stay here to help?" She stopped when they got to the car. "Where are we going?"

Tony unlocked the door for her before moving to the driver's side. "I don't have a clue how to help McGee right now Ziva, but I know what I can do to help Gibbs." He didn't say anything else until they arrived at their destination, only a few miles away. "You coming or not?"

Ziva looked up at the sign over the glass double doors. "A sporting goods store? What on earth do you need from here?" She had to scramble to keep up with DiNozzo as he hurried inside. Tony went straight for the fishing supplies, which confused her further. He stopped at a display of waders.

"Now do you see?" He was holding up a pair of insulated chest waders. She smiled in understanding and added a pair of thick insulated socks to their purchase.

After a quick stop at the corner deli, they returned just as McGee's temperature began to spike again. Leaving Ziva to hand out food in the kitchen, Tony rushed upstairs to help. A grateful smile from Gibbs and a slap on the back from Vance told him his shopping trip had been worthwhile. This time Gibbs barely felt the cold as he knelt in the icy tub, keeping Tim's head above the water as he thrashed about, delirious.

"It's not working like the last time." Gibbs nearly shouted at Ducky as Tim's body temperature continued to climb. "Ducky, do something."

Ducky shook his head. "There's not enough of the medication to control his symptoms any longer, Jethro. His only chance is if we take back to the hospital. They can put him on life support."

"No," Gibbs closed his eyes in realization. "He had me sign a DNR."

"Oh, Jethro, why?" Ducky leaned back against the vanity while Tony looked on in confusion.

Gibbs shifted slightly, resting his chin on the top of Tim's head. "He was afraid that he'd end up a lab specimen and I couldn't say no. You told me I needed to be his dad, Ducky, but I'm not ready to lose another child."

Ducky and Vance exchanged a look behind Gibbs before Ducky gave him an option. "As his handler, you can legally override his choice."

"No. No, I won't, I can't." As much as it hurt, Gibbs had made a promise to himself the first night that he would always treat McGee as a human being first and a Superhero second. Demanding the same from the rest of the people in Tim's life was part of the package as far as he was concerned. "There has to be another way. Can you get someone at the hospital to give you more of the medication?"

"They don't have any, Gibbs." Vance pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to explain. "Hetty managed to hang onto one dose from before the uprising. The research labs have been working to recreate it, but it's still in the experimental stages and that would mean turning him over to them."

While the three older men argued about options, Tony watched his friend. Tim's skin was as pale as the corpses Ducky had in autopsy except for the fever red patches on his cheeks. He was no longer conscious, but his limbs were twitching. It was not major convulsions, but Tony knew it wasn't good. Unwilling to watch his team member die in Gibbs' bathroom, Tony stepped forward, trying to think of something that would help, when a movement out the bedroom window caught his attention. He was too far away to tell for sure, but it appeared that a car had pulled into the driveway. Since everyone in McGee's support group was there, Tony changed direction to see what was happening.

Angry voices in the living room told Tony he had made the right decision. The first voice was Hetty's, the mysterious woman Vance had brought out from Los Angeles. The second voice belonged to Trent Kort and Tony eased his gun out of the holster as he quietly came down the stairs.

"What is this going to cost me, Trent?" The diminutive woman didn't even come up to Kort's shoulder, but she wasn't backing down from him.

If anything, Kort seemed to be backing down from her, and Hetty went up in Tony's estimation as he continued to listen to Trent backpedal. "This didn't come from the lab, Edna, and there's no catch."

This wasn't the first time Tony had heard someone call Hetty, Edna, and Tony filed it away to check on later. For now, whatever was going on in Gibbs' living room was much more important as Hetty took a large vial from Kort. She studied it closely as Kort waited for something. Finally, she looked up at him, frowning. "This is an original bottle."

"I know." Kort waited as she continued to stare at it. Half way up the stairs, Tony continued to watch the exchange.

Still holding the bottle, Hetty stepped closer and laid her other hand on Trent's chest. "All these years and you're just going to hand it over for Tim. Why, Trent, just tell me why."

"Star, I'm doing it for Star." Whatever Kort's cryptic words meant, Hetty obviously knew, and Kort turned to leave. When he reached the door, he turned and addressed Tony. "DiNozzo, until his powers are fully developed and stabilized, he's vulnerable. Gibbs may be his handler, but you had better keep him safe."

Now that he was officially in the conversation, Tony came the rest of the way into the room. "Since when did you give a damn about McGee?"

"Ask Edna; she knows." Kort sidestepped Tony and was out the door before anyone could react.

Tony jumped when the door slammed and spun around to look at Hetty. "What did he mean by that?" Hetty just shook her head as she went up the stairs.

"Later, Agent DiNozzo, if Timothy doesn't survive the night it won't matter one bit."


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n - and so it begins. I think you'll like this chapter ;)**

The next twenty four hours passed by in a blur as McGee clung to life. The gift from Kort made the difference as his temperature hovered just under what Ducky would consider deadly. Finally, just as the medical examiner began to worry about how long the medication would hold out, Tim's fever broke.

"Tim? Hey son, how are you feeling?" Gibbs didn't hide his relief as the green eyes opened briefly. Tim's voice was weak and raspy, forcing him to lean closer to hear.

"I'm all right, sir."

The formal response annoyed Gibbs until it all fell into place as his mind filled in the blanks of what he'd learned about Tim's childhood. His adoption had not come out of a loving desire to give a child a home and family; instead it had been a junior officer's desire to gain a promotion that had led to his volunteering over his wife's objections. He suspected that the typical illnesses, injuries and traumas of his childhood were dealt with efficiently, but with none of the parental warmth and love that a child would crave. Right now, confused and exhausted, Tim McGee expected the same cold reaction and with Ducky's admonishments in mind, Gibbs set out to change the younger man's expectations.

"Hey, buddy, open your eyes and look at me for a minute, okay?" A gentle, but familiar tap to the back of the head was given and Tim instinctively looked up, as Gibbs had hoped.

"Boss?"

Gibbs smiled at the awareness he heard this time. "That's right. Now, let's try this again. How are you feeling?" He held up a finger to delay the answer. "This house is full of people who are here because they are worried about you and want to help take care of you. It's okay to lean on us if you need to."

It was the right thing to say, as Tim dropped the pretense and Gibbs could see how frail he was. "I'm not feeling so good right now, Boss."

"Well, you've had a couple of pretty rough days, McGee." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jackie Vance come in with a steaming pan of soapy water and Ducky right on her heels. Gibbs took the pan as Ducky started his examination. While Ducky checked his vital signs and took one last blood sample, Gibbs wrung out the washcloth and started wiping away the sweat. "Now, we're going to get you cleaned up and into something clean and dry to sleep in. You're going to stay in my room for a few days until you're stronger because the bathroom is closer. Okay?"

"Don't… don't want to chase you out of your room." As McGee objected, Gibbs pulled him upright and Ducky helped him tug off the sweat drenched t-shirt.

"It'll just be for a few days, until you're stronger. Besides, you know me; I'll probably be sleeping under my boat anyways." He turned his head and gave Jackie a pointed look. She took the hint with a smile and left the room, leaving Gibbs and Ducky to finish the sponge bath without a female observer.

---NCIS---

"Why aren't you upstairs with him?" Vance kept his voice low, in deference to the sleeping figures scattered throughout the first floor of Gibbs' home. He and Hetty were standing at the window, watching each other in the reflections of the glass as Vance tried to make his point. "He needs you."

Hetty gave him a sad look before returning her gaze to the quiet street. "My job is to teach him to use his powers. He won't need me until he has his powers."

"That's not what I mean and you know it. The boy needs to know he still has a living relative. As soon as he's stronger, he is going to start asking about his family, about his past."

In all the years he'd known her, a clenched jaw and pursed lips were the only indications of anger ever visible on Hetty's face and he was seeing them both now as she spun around to face him. "Five generations, Leon, five generations of my family and I'm the only one without powers. Now I'm the only one left; all those powers and they're all dead."

Leon made a show out of looking up. "Not all of them, Hetty.

Before she could explain to him how she could not open herself to the hurt of accepting Tim as more than a Super to be trained, Jackie came down the stairs. She was smiling and made no effort to be quiet, which immediately woke the rest of the group.

"Tim's fever broke a few minutes ago."

"He's stabilizing?" With his medical background, Jimmy was the first to understand the significance. "It's over?"

Jackie looked around at the hopeful faces. "It looks that way. He was absolutely soaked with sweat from the fever breaking, so Jethro and Ducky are getting him cleaned up and then they're going to move him into the master bedroom while he recovers. Tony, why don't you go up and help them, I don't think he's in any condition to walk on his own yet."

Thrilled to finally be able to do something to help his friend, Tony dashed up the stairs. Jackie turned next to Abby, who had spent most of the last day near tears in worry. "Abby, part of the reason he's so weak right now is that he's dehydrated and his blood sugar is extremely low. Why don't you make up some orange juice and take a glass of it up to him?"

Two down, Jackie smiled at her husband before handing the blood sample to Palmer. "We know this has made him anemic, but we need to know exactly how low his iron count is." Palmer took the sample and hurried to the makeshift lab set up in the corner. Vance joined him to offer his assistance.

Sensing that the newest agent on the team was unsure of her usefulness at the moment, Jackie put her arm around Ziva's shoulder and steered her into the kitchen. "Since I don't have a clue if Jethro can even boil water, feeding Tim is going to be our responsibility. Let's sort out exactly what he's got in this kitchen of his before we hit the store, all right?"

Hetty turned back to the window, wiping repeatedly at her face as she carefully controlled her breathing.

---NCIS---

"Thanks, Tony." The words were breathy and faint, and Tim McGee was asleep almost before he finished saying them, but Tony grinned at the sound and bounced on his toes.

"I told you he was going to be all right, didn't I, Boss? In a couple of days he's going to be flying around the yard or maybe he'll be breathing underwater and talking to fish. That would be cool."

Gibbs rolled his eyes as he finished tucking the blankets around McGee. Behind him, Tony and Ducky exchanged smiles as Ducky left to help Palmer with the blood tests. Once the blankets were firmly in place, Gibbs motioned to Tony to follow him out of the room.

"He's not going to be very mobile for a few days. Give me a hand and we'll move the TV up here for him."

"The plasma?"

Gibbs resisted the urge to headslap DiNozzo, mainly because there wasn't room in the hallway with Abby squeezing past them with a glass of orange juice. "Of course the plasma. Did you think I was going stick with that crappy old television in the basement?"

"Well, no." Even without the hit, Tony instinctively touched the back of his head. "It's just that it's heavy and kinda awkward to carry up the stairs."

"That's why you're going to help me with it, DiNozzo. You got a problem with that?"

"Well, no, but…" Whatever excuse Tony was going to use was interrupted by Abby's worried call.

"Gibbs, where's McGee?"

The two men gave each other a surprised look before returning to the bedroom. "Abby, he's sound asleep in the bed." Gibbs came to a sudden stop, not even noticing when Tony ran into him. The bed was empty, the covers still tightly tucked into place.

Abby's tone was that of someone explaining something to a small child. "Umm, no, he's not. Where is he, Gibbs?"

"What the hell…" Gibbs moved closer to the bed, but it was still empty. Tony came up on the other side.

"Maybe he's got invisibility powers." To test his theory, Tony reached out and started patting the bed, but there was no McGee shaped invisible lump.

Gibbs flashed back to when Kelly was two and managed to climb out of her crib in the middle of the night. He had panicked then, too. Rushing out to lean over the railing, he yelled. "Vance, Hetty!"

Within seconds the bedroom was full of people, all staring at the still empty bed. Hetty was the first to react, slapping at Gibbs' chest. "You lost him. How could you lose my boy? I trusted you with him."

"Hetty, Hetty, this isn't helping." Jackie wrapped her arms around the shorter woman and gently pulled her back. "We need to focus, what powers could cause this?" When she didn't get a response, her voice became sharper and louder to gain the attention of both Hetty and Leon. "What powers?"

"Teleportation, it's got to be teleportation." Vance looked out the window. "With no control yet, he could be anyplace. He could be on the roof, or he could materialize at the bottom of the ocean."

Hetty was visibly trying to calm herself down, but her shaking hands showed her lack of success. "No, he's too weak to go very far. Search the house and then spread out from there."

As everyone started to scatter, a sound caught Gibbs' attention and he dropped to his knees. Under the bed, still sound asleep, was Timothy McGee. "Thank God. Tim, can you hear me? Tim?" He reached down and shook his shoulder until he got a response.

"Boss?" He tried to move and immediately hit his head on the bed frame. It took him a bit to understand where he was. "How'd I get under the bed?"

"I think a better question is how are you going to get out from under there." With a grin to hide his relief, Gibbs took his arm and pulled him across the floor. Once Tim was clear of the bed, Gibbs helped him sit up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, but you've got some killer dust bunnies under there." He gave an embarrassed grin to his boss who laughed and ruffled his hair, dislodging the dust on the back of his head.

"Isn't it more comfortable to sleep on top of the mattress?" Gibbs raised up into a crouched position. "Put your arms around my neck and let's try this again." With Tony helping to balance the two of them, Gibbs lifted Tim off the floor and set him on the bed. Ziva and Abby quickly had him back under the blankets and, much to his embarrassment, they both kissed him goodnight. Tony waggled his eyebrows and bent down making kissing sounds. It got him a pillow across the face as Tim started to laugh, which was his goal. Satisfied, he helped Ducky herd the rest of them out of the room.

Gibbs took the chair from the corner and moved it next to the bed, never taking his eyes off the again sleeping McGee. Once he was seated, Vance came up behind him and whispered in his ear. "Do you remember how scary it was watching your kid take her first steps?" Gibbs nodded; he remembered spending the next three days padding everything in the house. Vance slapped him on the back. "This is a whole lot scarier." He was still chuckling as he left the room.

He could hear his various houseguests settling down once again for the night. One set of footsteps was coming up the stairs and a moment later DiNozzo came in with another chair. Once he was parked on the other side of the bed, Tony watched Gibbs watch McGee. "You going to stare at him all night, Boss?"

"The last time I turned my back, he disappeared. What do you think, DiNozzo?"

"I could help you watch him. We could, you know, synchronize our blinking. That way we never take our eyes off of him." He relaxed as he heard the soft chuckle.

"Thanks, Tony."


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n - Ack, it took 45 minutes and three reboots to get a webpage to load this morning. I don't have to hold out too much longer, my wonderful family is getting me a new laptop for Christmas. I'm counting the days.**

**More discoveries for our gang as they settle into their new roles. Enjoy the chapter and thank you for all the wonderful reviews.**

"Good Morning, McGee." Ziva entered the room with a tray piled high with food. Jackie was right behind her with juice for Tim and coffee for the rest of them.

Tim struggled to sit up as the tray was set on his lap. The scrambled eggs he recognized, but he wasn't sure about the chunks of meat cooked with large slices of mushrooms. Jackie saw the questioning look and identified the rest of his breakfast as Vance and Hetty entered with their own coffees.

"This morning you're having chicken liver since it's got a milder taste than beef liver. You're dangerously anemic after being ill and we need to get your iron levels up in a hurry. Don't tell me you're one of those who detest the taste of liver."

He gave the tiniest of shrugs as he picked up his fork. "Don't know, I've never had it. My dad loved it, but they always made a big deal out of the fact that I wasn't allowed to have any." He took a swallow of the juice he was handed. "They always told me I was allergic to oranges, too. I didn't know that I wasn't until I was at college."

It was apparent that his words made the three of them mad, but the four agents didn't understand. Jackie was the only one calm enough to explain after a quick glance at her husband and Hetty. "Even without your powers, your body's need for large amounts of iron was still there. Liver for iron and orange juice to help your body absorb it should have been part of your weekly diet throughout your entire childhood."

Tim still couldn't admit how neglectful his adoptive parents had been. "They always made sure I had a vitamin every morning."

"You were sick a great deal as a child. Am I correct?" Hetty had been quiet up until now. Waiting for an answer, she sat on the edge of Tim's bed and rested her hand on his blanket covered knee. When he looked down at the plate and nodded, she continued. "Your blood has always been that of a Superhero; your adoptive parents were made well aware of that fact before you were handed over to them. The artificial compounds in man-made vitamins are toxic to you and can't be absorbed."

To Gibbs and the rest of them the neglect bordered on abuse and it was painful to watch Tim struggle with the knowledge. It was Tony who plopped down on the other side of the bed to distract him.

"Now that you're on the mend, don't you think it's about time you learned about being a Superhero? I mean, do you have a cool catchphrase yet? What about signature moves? I bet you haven't even thought about your Superhero name yet or what your costume is going to be. You know; the important stuff."

Tim couldn't help but laugh at his goofy friend, which was, of course, the plan. "No, Tony, I haven't thought about any of the important stuff yet."

After snagging a mushroom off the plate, Tony looked up at the rest of the group, clustered at the doorway. "Well then, while you are eating this feast Ziva fixed for you, Abby and I are going to pick up a bunch of superhero movies for you to study this afternoon." Abby's pigtails bounced as she nodded and followed Tony out the door.

As everyone scattered to various corners of the house, Tim reached out and took Ziva's hand. "Thank you, this is really good."

Ziva was never very good at taking a compliment. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm glad you like it, McGee. You have a difficult journey ahead of you; it is good to be able to help in some way. Mrs. Vance has taught me your nutritional requirements while you regain your strength and I will endeavor to make them as tasty as possible for you." She picked up the half full glass of juice and handed it to him. "Now, finish your juice."

---NCIS---

"What do I need to know about teleportation?"

Hetty looked up from the book she was reading. Gibbs finally felt safe not standing over McGee, since he was currently beating the pants off of Palmer in a game of chess, but he did sit where he could still watch him over Hetty's shoulder. "We're not sure that is going to be his power. Being ill can disrupt how a Superhero's powers react to their environment."

"Even a cold can cause problems." Jackie joined them as she refilled their coffee cups. "You've noticed how Leon never comes into work sick?"

A month ago, Gibbs thought the Director was being a wimp for staying home during an outbreak of the common cold at headquarters. He looked at her, raising an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

"It snows when he's sick." The reaction was mild, so she added the rest, "in the house." When Gibbs choked on his coffee, she knew she'd made her point. She patted his knee and stood. "Make sure Tim always gets his flu shot." Out in the hallway, Vance deliberately ignored the conversation, but his smile proved that he'd been listening in. The front door slammed, announcing the arrival of Tony and Abby back from the video store, so he went downstairs to see exactly what they had brought back.

"Hey, Leon, look at what we found." Abby was pleased with the stack of DVD's Tony was juggling as she bounced past him. "We didn't know which ones were the most realistic, so we just rented one of each of everything they had. Is McGee awake?" She didn't wait for an answer before bounding up the stairs.

Vance listened, but luckily she quieted as she reached the second floor. Satisfied, he turned to survey the selection they had brought back. Flipping through the stack, he pulled out three older ones to start with. "These were made with the input of Supers before the revolt. They'd be good to start with."

One of the movies he tossed on the table. "He does not need to see that one. The director was obsessed with proving that Superheroes had a secret agenda to take over the world. This movie was probably the most damaging thing out there before we lost our rights. Hell, it probably was part of the reason we lost our rights after the battle. Look at the name of the director."

Tony picked it up and looked at the credits on the back. The director was listed as Oscar Hamilton. "That's not the same Hamilton as..."

"Yes, he is. Oscar Hamilton left Hollywood to run the Superhero Research Division of the CIA. I'd suggest the rest of you look at this to really understand what McGee will be facing, but not here. He's having a rough enough time as it is."

"Yeah, sure. What about Gibbs? Should he see it now or wait until later?" DiNozzo certainly wasn't planning on hiding anything from his boss, but anyone with a brain could see how much strain he was under, worrying about McGee.

Vance seemed to agree with him. "I think he's got enough on his plate right now." He set the rest of the movies on the table except for one. Tony tilted his head to read the title. It was _Soaring Together: the Lives of Hawkfire and Starspirit._

"I've seen that one probably a dozen times. They were amazing; he was the coolest of the Superheroes and she was so amazing. I remember the story of how he saved all those people and her link to him was so strong that she died the same time he did."

"Almost." Vance stroked his finger across the image of the couple who had taken in a troubled teenager all those years ago. "She lived long enough to give birth to their son." He gave a meaningful look up towards the upstairs bedrooms, knowing that DiNozzo would make the connection. He did.

"Probie?"

"He doesn't know yet. So much has been happening to him that he hasn't had time to think about his real family. Until he's ready to ask..."

"No, no I won't say anything to him. Wow, those are some pretty big shoes to fill." Tony looked at the movie still in Vance's hands. "He'll probably want to see that by himself when the time comes. Why don't I take the rented one back and buy a copy for Tim. If it were me, I'd want to see it a lot."

Vance gave a sad smile as he handed the movie back to Tony. "You're not so bad, DiNozzo."

The shrug he got in return reminded him of a naughty little boy. "I have my moments, sir."


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n - Some quiet 'family' time for our gang, with some important details for you (why, yes, that was a hint). Enjoy the peace, Saturday and Sunday's updates are going to be big and wild. Are you ready?**

Tim insisted on coming downstairs to watch the movies, much to Gibbs' dismay, but he did seem steadier as Tony and Jimmy helped him down the stairs. Bowls of popcorn were made and Ziva casually placed a smaller bowl of roasted pumpkin seeds at McGee's side. He smiled his thanks and nibbled on the seeds as they watched villain after villain fall to the mental and physical superiority of the Superheroes. In between the movies, they plied Vance with questions. Knowing the reasons behind their curiosity, Vance answered with much more patience than he normally would have. They learned that all Supers had some level of increased strength no matter what their power was, and that occasionally a Super was born to normal parents. Abby was horrified to learn that since the uprising, every child born was secretly tested. When she leaned forward to grab more popcorn, Vance gave a slight nod to DiNozzo as to who and what was behind the testing.

After the third movie, McGee was visibly flagging and Gibbs put a stop to the festivities, informing the group that they all needed to get a good night's sleep in their own beds. Vance noticed the two movies Tony took with him, but didn't say anything.

Outside, Tony quietly suggested they move to his apartment. His serious tone was unusual and they quickly agreed. Ziva rode with Tony while Abby and Jimmy followed behind in his car. Once the pizzas arrived, Tony put the one movie in the player without any explanation. Ziva gave him an odd look when the logo for Oscar Hamilton Productions came up on the screen, but he didn't respond.

---NCIS---

Ducky gave McGee one last check before he left for the night, following Leon and his wife out the door after Hetty announced her intentions to stay at the house. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay the night, Jethro?"

"Thanks, Ducky, but we'll be all right. Hetty and I need to talk anyways." Gibbs had decided it was time for some answers from the enigmatic woman. It still seemed so strange to lock the doors that he had to make two rounds through the house to make sure he had them all before he headed upstairs with a bottle and two glasses.

Soft, melodious singing was coming from the bedroom and Gibbs eased his way upstairs. Hetty was kneeling next to the bed, watching Tim sleep as she sang a lullaby. The melody was vaguely familiar, but it took Gibbs a few minutes to recognize the language.

Huna'n dawel, heno, huna

Huna'n fwyn, y tlws ei lun;

Pam yr wyt yn awry n gwenu,

Gwenu'n dirion yn dy hun?

Ai angylion fry sy'n gwenu,

Arnat ti yn gwenu'n llon

Tithau'n gwenu'n ol dan huno,

Huno'n dawel ar fy mron?

"Is that Welsh?" Her shoulders stiffened slightly at his arrival, but otherwise there was little visible reaction. He watched as she pulled the blankets up around him and brushed his hair back before she stood.

"He has his mother's eyes." Hetty didn't say anything else as she followed Gibbs out of the bedroom. Sometime during the previous day several chairs had migrated upstairs. A wider section of the hallway next to the stairs gave a perfect view into the bedroom for worried teammates.

Hetty took the offered glass, knowing that Gibbs interest was not really in the song. She smiled, looking into the bedroom, but actually seeing a different bedroom in a different time. "They expect you to be jealous, you know, and I should have been. My family's had powers since the days of Victorian England. My first ancestor to use his powers saved hundreds of people at the Sutton Tunnel railway accident. Ever since then, that's all we've done, all we're ever been.

Things were starting to fall into place. Hetty's knowledge of Superheroes came from a lifetime of experience. Gibbs didn't interrupt, but let her continue at her own pace.

I was almost eight before my parents had to admit that I was a throwback, no powers, whatsoever. Father wanted to return to Europe to find someone else to test me, but Mother knew. I think she knew the day I was born. Their one hope was the baby that was on the way. The day Marlena was born was the day my life gained purpose."

"You took care of her."

"I was the only one that could. Even before she became Starspirit, her psionic powers were astounding."

"Psionic?"

Hetty had to remind herself of how little Gibbs actually knew about Supers. "Her powers were of the mind, Agent Gibbs, and almost fully developed at birth. Imagine what it was like for an infant to be bombarded with all the thoughts and emotions of those around her. It almost killed her, and then my parents discovered I was her buffer, her protector. We were inseparable after that."

"Your lack of powers became a power in its own right."

"You are very perceptive, Agent Gibbs. I am beginning to see why our Timothy chose you." Hetty tipped her glass at Gibbs and downed the amber liquid in one swallow.

Gibbs chose to continue to sip at his, wanting to keep a clear head. "Since we are practically family, call me Jethro. Do you prefer Hetty or Edna?"

"Secret identity names are so fluid in the world of Supers, but those in Los Angeles only know me as Hetty." She didn't bother to mention that there had been a number of names in between that had kept her safe during the uprising and the following purge.

"So, when are you going to tell him?"

"When he's ready, Jethro, and not a moment sooner."

---NCIS---

By the time the end credits were rolling across the screen, Abby was in tears and the rest of them weren't much calmer. "How could people think like that? No wonder Gibbs yelled at me that first day."

Seeing Abby that upset shook Palmer, but he had questions of his own. "The movies we saw at Gibbs' place were the accurate ones, right? Why would someone twist things around like this? I mean, look at the release date; it was filmed before what happened in Kaunas."

"But it is quite similar." Ziva had been using Tony's computer to search out recipes, but began researching the Kaunas uprising when the movie started reminding her of what she had heard in a history class in school. "It would almost be considered a coincidence, except..."

"Except Gibbs doesn't believe in coincidences." Tony finished for her before throwing out another nugget of information. "The director of that movie went straight from movie making to heading up the Superhero Research Division of the CIA." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he looked at the rest of the group. "What do you say, Black Lung, should we find out how a movie maker managed to take control of the largest division of the CIA?"

---NCIS---

"You've got to be joking me." Gibbs glared at his charge, wondering if Bruce Wayne had such problems with his ward. "Two days ago we thought you were going to die. Now you want to go to work?"

"I didn't die, and sitting around waiting for my powers to kick in is going to drive me crazy. At least if I'm staring at old files instead of the walls, I might find a lead." McGee didn't look totally stable as he entered the bathroom, a towel over his shoulder, but he did look determined.

Hetty's smile was broader than Gibbs had seen since she arrived. "You approve of this?" She chuckled as she shook her head.

"The boy may have his mother's brains and gentleness, but he has his father's stubbornness. I don't think this is a battle you're going to win, Jethro." She reminded him of one simple fact. "He needs some normalcy and this is his way of achieving it."

Grumbling, Gibbs made the necessary phone calls to divert the troops that were on their way to his house before getting ready for work, himself. McGee could have waited at least until Ziva arrived to cook their breakfast.


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n - Today and tomorrow will be chapters of discovery, so enjoy. I will spend the weekend reconstruction files I lost in a hard crash yesterday. Yep, half of my research, outline and plot details are lost. I'll be spending the weekend reconstructing the files while it's all still fresh in my mind, so there may not be a chapter on Monday. Luckily these next two chapters are big, meaty ones with lots of action and humor. Let me know what you think. As always, I live for reviews.**

Gibbs still wasn't convinced what Marine Corps experience Vance had, but the man did understand good coffee. It almost seemed normal, sitting at the table in Vance's office going through files. As long as he pretended the files weren't regarding various Superhero powers and how they could be adapted to the work his team normally did. Hetty reminded Vance that it was all speculation until they knew exactly what powers McGee was going to develop. At least he hadn't floated around the house last night.

The debate was starting to heat up when Vance's assistant came in with a troubled expression. "Agent DiNozzo said you all are needed downstairs."

Curious, the three of them went downstairs to find Ziva standing in front of McGee's desk. Tony was next to McGee, sitting on the back of a chair, his feet on the seat. He was holding a fire extinguisher in his hands, watching the younger man typing.

McGee had always been a fast typist, but today he appeared to have picked up speed. Not enough to be considered super speed, but enough to be noticeable, even if it weren't for the sparks that Gibbs noticed right before the keyboard started smoking. Apparently it wasn't the first time, because it didn't faze McGee and DiNozzo just gave it a quick spray with the fire extinguisher as the other man continued to type. Another minute of typing and another hit with the extinguisher. Tony looked up with a grin. "Think we're going to have to start buying keyboards in bulk, Boss."

"Ya think, DiNozzo."

Finished with what he was working on, McGee finally looked up, brushing the residue from the extinguisher off his sleeves. "Can you aim that thing a little better, Tony?"

"My aim is quite well, thank you very much." The banter was classic for his team and there was only one response to it.

*Whack*

*Whack*

"Thanks, Boss."

"Thanks, Boss."

While the rest of them grinned at each other, Hetty rolled her eyes and took temporary command. "Timothy, don't let normal human technology limit you." When he and Gibbs both stared at her blankly, she sighed. "Don't type it, think it. Lay your hands across the keyboard and think what you want to input into the computer."

McGee looked anything but convinced, but he did as he was told. He spread his fingers so his hands were covering as much of the keyboard, took a deep breath, and pushed his thoughts into cyberspace. For a split second text scrolled across the screen too fast to be read, then the monitor went up in a puff of black smoke. The power surge traveled throughout the squad room, taking out every monitor along the way.

DiNozzo found himself suddenly very busy with the fire extinguisher, at least until several other agents recovered from the shock to grab additional ones, including Ziva. Vance dropped his toothpick before Hetty reached up and closed his mouth for him. Gibbs just beamed in pride at his mortified Super Agent.

"I'm so sorry, Director Vance. I... I don't know... I can't believe..." McGee was stammering in embarrassment as over a dozen agents stared at him.

The Gibbs glare scattered the other agents before he turned his focus on McGee, using his knuckles to rap on the desk to get his attention. "Hey, power first, then control. Nobody's expecting you to get it perfect the first time."

"Absolutely." Hetty jumped in to help reinforce Gibbs' words. "It will take time to control it, but you're developing an amazing level of power."

"Amazing? That was freaking awesome." Tony dropped the empty fire extinguisher on his abandoned chair and slapped Tim on the back. "Man, our geek is a Supergeek. How cool is that? Just wait until the next time the FBI tries to lock us out of an investigation. They won't know what hit them."

Privately, that thought amused Gibbs on many levels, but he didn't want to push McGee too fast. Hetty had other ideas. "Now that he's had this breakthrough, we need to keep going. Leon, we're going to use the computer in your office."

Vance was on the phone with Harold from IT services. "Yes, we need monitors replaced in the squad room." Behind him, Gibbs was enjoying the show.

"How many of them?" Vance looked around and sighed. "All of them. Yes, I'm serious. No, this is not a joke." He covered the mouthpiece with his hand as he registered what Hetty had said.

"My computer? Why my computer?"

"Would you rather we take over cybercrimes for his training?" Hetty raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to give in.

On the phone Harold was still rambling on about procedure and protocol in reporting damaged equipment and Vance rolled his eyes as he only paid partial attention to the man as he continued the conversation with Hetty. "Is this payback for my accidentally filling your car with ice that time?

"It never was the same, Leon."

"it was a Rambler, for God's sake woman. Not as if it was a great loss."

Hetty raised up to her full 4'9" and glared at Vance. "I'll have you know Marlon Brando helped me pick out that car, himself.

"Brando, really?" Tony attached himself to Hetty's side as she ushered McGee up the stairs.

Vance watched the group go up the stairs. "Don't touch my computer until I get up there." Harold finally started winding down and he was able to interrupt him. "I've got a building full of agents waiting for their computers, Harold. I don't care how you do it, just do it." Taking the stairs two at a time, he chased after the rest of them hoping to get to his office before McGee sat down.

---NCIS---

"All right, Timothy, this time I want you to approach this very slowly. Ease your mind towards the computer and slowly increase your power levels. Try typing a few words and then see if you can reach a file. Start with something simple, like his recycle bin." Hetty gave him an encouraging smile as she finished her instructions. On his other side, Gibbs hid his concerns behind his pride. Vance had been right. Watching super powers develop was a whole lot scarier than watching the first steps or even the first day without training wheels.

Tim nodded at Hetty before turning to Gibbs. The older man patted his shoulder. "First step of many, McGee. No one is expecting perfection your first time out, you'll do fine."

Across the desk, Vance kept a neutral expression while Tony was vibrating with excitement. Even Ziva couldn't hide her anticipation as their friend took his first true steps as a Superhero.

A deep breath in and slowly out, McGee gingerly laid his hands on the keyboard and closed his eyes. Nothing happened for a moment, then words started across the screen, slowly at first, and then speeding up. Hetty and Gibbs both smiled at the choice, a poem by Walt Whitman. The rest of the team and Vance edged around the desk to see for themselves.

Tony summed it up. "Cool."

"Indeed." Hetty glanced up to smile briefly at Tony before returning her complete attention to Tim. "All right, now use your mind and reach out for the recycle bin. What's in there?"

McGee's forehead wrinkled in concentration. "Can't quite... it's like my fingertips are just brushing against it."

"Reach further, push a little harder Timothy. You're almost there." Hetty reached out, but didn't touch him, didn't want to break his concentration.

"Almost, almost..." There was a sheen of sweat on his face as he struggled to control his newfound abilities. Gibbs was just about ready to pull him back when he nudged a little closer to the files in his mind. There was just enough time to register a horrified expression on his face before McGee vanished with a bounce of the keyboard. The only indication that he'd ever been there was the suddenly spinning chair with his jacket crumpled in it and his slacks laying on the floor.

From his crouched position, Gibbs fell flat on his backside. "What the hell, where'd he go now?" Hetty was staring at the monitor.

"Heavens, he's inside the network. Leon, what are your firewall protocols? How far could he get?" Hetty looked up at him and yelled to get the attention of the stunned man. "Leon, how far? What kind of security could trap him? How well does he know the system?"

"He practically wrote it during the last upgrade. Spread out, start checking all the computers."

Vance's assistant ran in, looking more frazzled than earlier in the day. "Cybercrimes is in an uproar. They claim they just saw Agent McGee tumbling across their computer monitors, his head popped out of one of them and then he disappeared."

Tony looked out the window. "Could he get into the inter-agency network? It might be kinda awkward if he pops out of Fornell's computer in his boxers."

"Not really the time for jokes, DiNozzo."

"I'm not joking, Boss. Can he cross the network?"

Even with his limited computer knowledge, Gibbs was beginning to see the dangers and the possibilities. "Shit. Hetty, Leon?"

"He's the best hacker I've worked with. The only limit would be in where he wants to go. Where would he want to go?" The answer was instant and in stereo.

"Abby's lab."

Vance headed for the door at a full run, Tony at his heels, Gibbs only a step behind, already calling her phone.

Ziva reached down and picked up the pants before she and Hetty followed the men. "Why didn't all of his clothes travel with him?"

Hetty was already thinking about that. Years of dressing the Super community gave her inside knowledge of how their garments interacted with their abilities. "The metal in the zippers."

Abby picked up her phone on the third ring and everyone could hear her shrieking. _"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, McGee just jumped out of my computer."_

"Drag him away from any of the computers down there and don't let go of him, Abby. We're on our way."

---NCIS---

Any other day it would have been considered red light contact, but today Gibbs was grateful to see Abby on the floor, wrapped around McGee's shaking form. Tim was staring at the computer he usually used when working in the lab, the knocked over chair gave the group a pretty good indication where he had emerged. Gibbs dropped to his knees, taking McGee's face in his hands.

"Look at me, McGee." Gibbs turned Tim's face towards him, but his eyes still stared at the monitor he'd just escaped from. Under any other circumstances, his expression would have been funny; Gibbs didn't know eyes could get that big. In the face of such terror, he decided to go with a gentle approach. "Tim, are you all right? Look at me, kiddo, are you okay?"

McGee was still looking at the bank of computers, but he did respond to the question with a short nod. He was close to hyperventilating, which wasn't that big of a surprise, but it was the next thing Gibbs wanted to address.

"Tim, I need you to slow your breathing down, all right? That's it, breathe in and hold it for a second, now exhale slowly."

Tony tugged Abby to her feet to give Gibbs and Tim some privacy. She had dozens of questions, but Hetty had few answers for her. "Obviously, it's more than simple teleportation, but without more time, I can't tell you for sure exactly what his powers are developing into. You must understand, Miss Sciuto, when the rest of the Superheroes were deactivated, computer technology was primitive in comparison to what we have now and networks were unheard of."

Abby didn't look convinced as she nodded, looking over Hetty's head to where Gibbs was quietly talking to McGee.

"I bet that was an E-ticket ride. How much of it do you remember?" Since the color was returning to McGee's face, Gibbs let him sit up. "What did it feel like in there?"

Tim finally noticed his pants were missing and pulled his knees up to his chest. Tony had picked up an extra lab coat and draped it over him. "At first it was like being trapped in a pinball game, but then I concentrated on a program I was working on with that computer and all of a sudden I was there."

"How'd you get back out?" Curiosity was overweighing worry as Gibbs calmed down enough to think it through.

"I pushed." Tim's forehead creased as he tried to come up with the words to explain something so far out of human experience. "I don't know how else to explain it. It was the same way I got in."

Tony took the pants from Ziva and helped McGee with them as he grinned at his friend. "Whatever it was, that was pretty cool, McGee. Just think, no more traffic in the mornings; you can just email yourself to work."

"But not today, DiNozzo." With Tony's help, Gibbs got Tim back on his feet. "I'm taking him home, Leon. I think he's had enough excitement for one day."

Whatever argument Vance was going to put forth died when he looked at him. He was being addressed by a handler and not a special agent. "Of course, Gibbs. Do you want Ducky to check him over first?"

McGee shook his head no and Gibbs didn't push it. If anything, he was pretty sure medical school didn't cover this. "Nah, I think we're okay. I'll give you a call if anything changes." He waited a minute to see if Hetty would say anything. When she remained quiet he ushered McGee out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n - Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. You make my day. I spent most of yesterday at my youngest son's marching band competition and I'm leaving soon to spend today with my oldest son because he turns twenty-one Monday. He couldn't join us for the marching band finals because he was performing with symphony.**

**It may be a day or two before the next chapter is posted as I redo my lost research (at least I know where the original source was so it's time consuming but not hopeless) and transfer to the new computer, but I'll be back posting ASAP, I promise.**

"You hungry?" Gibbs had kept a close eye on his quiet roommate during the drive home. McGee was becoming more and more withdrawn, so when they parked in the driveway Gibbs softly cuffed him on the back of the head to get his attention. "Hey, you accomplished a lot today."

"Yeah." It was apparent he wasn't looking at it the way Gibbs was.

"Tim..."

"Boss, in less than a day I managed to wipe out the agency's entire IT budget for the next ten years and now half of the cybercrimes unit is going to need therapy." He let his head fall back against the headrest with a thump.

"Yeah, but Abby thought it was cool." It was so quiet that he almost missed it, but his words got a chuckle out of the younger man.

Tim just rolled his head around to see his boss. "I think that was the first time I'd actually seen Abby speechless. It only lasted a few seconds, but man, the look on her face as I flew past her." His grin grew a little bit wider.

"Hey, when you disappeared from Vance's office, I got almost ten seconds of silence from DiNozzo." He'd also gotten a lot of worry from him, but right now he wanted McGee to focus on the humor. "Come on, let's go in."

When McGee stepped up onto the deck it gave Gibbs a different view of his face and he noticed a small smear of blood under his nose. Once they were inside, he tilted McGee's head up for a better view. "When did the nosebleed start?"

"Oh, umm," McGee blushed a dark red. "My landing wasn't all that graceful. I, uh, didn't get my arms up in time and caught the edge of Abby's chair." Gibbs didn't say anything, but McGee just knew what they would be working on the next time the team was in the gym.

---NCIS---

After Gibbs and McGee left the lab, the rest of the group gathered around the computer McGee had escaped from. Abby started all the diagnostic tests she could think of to see what she could learn about Tim's cyber adventure. Tony hovered at her elbow until she shoved him away and he finally ended up next to Vance.

"I got to say that was the coolest thing I've ever seen. I mean that ice thing of yours is pretty good too, but man, that was something." Tony hadn't stopped grinning since they found McGee alive and unharmed on the floor of the lab.

Overall, Vance was pretty happy with the situation, too. The technology budget had certainly taken a hit, but he was sure he could smooth things over with the SecNav with a brief demonstration of what their new Superhero could do. He gave him a rare smile. "I must admit, it was an impressive first day with his powers. By the time they're up to full strength and he's got complete control, it will be quite remarkable."

For the second time that day, Anthony DiNozzo was speechless for a few seconds and Vance enjoyed the man's fish impression. Eventually sound caught up with his mouth. "He's going to get better than this?"

"Oh, yeah." Vance bit down on a new toothpick as his grin grew wider. "Like the old saying goes, you ain't seen nothing yet."

---NCIS---

"Hey, you never answered me, are you hungry?" Gibbs sorted through the mail as he watched Tim wander through the living room.

McGee's hand briefly touched his stomach before he shook his head. "I don't think I should eat anything right now." He knew Gibbs was going to demand to know what was going on, so he didn't bother to hide it. "Next time I go bouncing around cyberspace remind me to take my seasick pills."

It made sense that someone who got ill even when a ship was docked would have problems with the wild ride he'd experienced that day. "I'm sure it's going to get easier, McGee. Other than your stomach, how do you feel?"

Tim frowned as he tried to describe the sensation the event had left in him. "It's like, well, it feels like my bones itch."

"Your bones itch?" He wasn't quite sure how to interpret that, but the young man did look tired and stressed. "Why don't you unwind for a while, play one of those computer games of yours."

McGee looked uncomfortable at the suggestion. "After today, the idea of getting lost in a first person shooter game kind of has a whole different meaning."

He had a point, Gibbs realized. "You're still recovering. What about a hot shower and a nap? I'll be downstairs if you need me." McGee nodded and started up the stairs. Once he was out of sight, Gibbs went into the kitchen for a clean glass from the dishwasher before heading down to the basement to give McGee some privacy.

---NCIS---

There was nothing more soothing to the soul than the feel of a piece of wood under your hand. Gibbs gave a contented sigh as he sanded what was going to be the railing of the boat. Since McGee was not going to be finding relaxation at his computer for the foreseeable future, perhaps it would be a good time to introduce him to the fine art of boatbuilding. He sipped at his bourbon as he contemplated how to get him started. A loud crash from upstairs caught his attention and he looked up in time to see McGee fall through the ceiling and land in front of him.

"What the hell, McGee, are you all right?" Gibbs rushed over and knelt down to check on the moaning man. He was naked, dripping wet, and his face was covered with blood. Gibbs couldn't help but look up to survey the damage, but the basement ceiling was intact. Confused, he returned his attention to his charge. "Where'd you... how'd you..." Gibbs thought about what was directly above them on the second floor. "You fell out of the shower, McGee? All the way into the basement?"

He climbed to his feet and retrieved the towel he'd recently thrown in the rag bin. It was faded and worn, but large enough to give McGee some cover. A second, smaller towel was grabbed to stop the bleeding. "What did you hit your head on, do you remember?"

McGee wrapped the towel around his waist as Gibbs levered him up onto his feet. "I think I hit it on the dishwasher."

"The dishwasher?" When he'd signed on as McGee's handler, Gibbs knew his life would no longer be normal, but right now he couldn't even see where normal used to be. "Let me get this straight. You fell out of the shower on the second floor, hit your head on the dishwasher on the first floor and ended up in the basement?" He couldn't stop looking at the ceiling. There wasn't even a wet spot where he'd come through.

Still shaking his head, he got McGee across the room and onto the only chair down there to get a better look at his head injury. Once the blood was wiped away, there was nothing there except a rapidly forming bruise.

"What the..." He started working out from the bruise, carefully checking every inch on McGee's scalp. There was no break in the skin at all, anywhere, and there was no fresh blood in his nostrils. "Where else does it hurt?"

Tim was more than confused at Gibbs' reaction. "Nowhere, Boss, I probably banged up my knees a little, but that's it."

"There's no cut on your head." Gibbs held up the bloodied cloth. "All this blood, and there's nothing on you that's bleeding. Did you bite your tongue or knock a tooth loose?"

Even though he knew there was nothing wrong, Tim ran his tongue across his teeth. Nothing was missing, loose or hurting. "No, nothing, Boss. What happened to me?" He studied his hands, there was still blood smeared on them. "How did I fall through the floor, but hit my head on the dishwasher?"

"I don't know, McGee." Gibbs returned to where he had fallen and stared again at the ceiling. Nothing about that spot looked different from the rest. In the corner were some lengths of pipe he'd used to repair the irrigation system. He picked the longest one up and used it to hit the ceiling. It was as solid as it looked.

Still stumped, he walked back over to McGee. "What exactly happened from your standpoint?"

"It's going to sound kind of crazy."

"You fell through the floor without damaging it. I think we're well beyond crazy here. Even if it sounds crazy, what do you remember?"

"Okay." McGee got that far-away look Gibbs recognized. He'd seen it every time the younger man was deep in thought. "I was in the shower with the water really hot and I was getting pretty relaxed. It was like, like looking through one of those sheer curtains, you know, and all of a sudden it was like my bones weren't there any more and I just went straight down. I felt like I wasn't really real for a few seconds. Then things started to clear when I was falling through the kitchen and then it all faded out again and the next thing I know you're standing over me down here."

Something about what McGee had described was niggling at his mind, but Gibbs wasn't sure what it was reminding him of, so he needed more details. "What about when you ended up under the bed?"

Tim shook his head, and then winced at the pain the movement caused. "All I remember was this vague nightmare I had."

"About what?"

"That I was suffocating. Honestly, all I remember was dreaming that I couldn't breathe and feeling so drained when you woke me up." Discouraged, he looked down at his bare legs, now covered with sawdust, dirt and splattered blood. "So much for my shower."

"Hey," Gibbs squeezed the nape of McGee's neck rather than deliver the headslap he was expecting. "Go get rinsed off and then lay down. "I'll call Ducky and have him come check your head."

Before McGee could stand up, Gibbs walked over to where a mattress was propped up. DiNozzo and Palmer had dragged it down here to make room for McGee's bed. Carefully eyeing where Tim had made his entrance, Gibbs dragged the old bed over to give him a softer landing spot. "Just in case."

Tim smiled gratefully as he went up the stairs. "Thanks, Boss."

Once he was sure McGee was going to be able to complete his shower without going down the drain, Gibbs returned to the kitchen to take a better look. The door of the dishwasher was down from when he'd gotten a glass, and when he looked closely there was skin on the corner in addition to the blood pooled underneath. Head wounds bled a great deal, certainly enough to cause the amount of blood he found, but it still didn't answer what happened to the head wound. Knowing he wasn't the one who would find the answers, he called Ducky to start the process.

---NCIS---

Determined to learn more about McGee's medical needs, Ducky had invited Hetty back to join him for dinner. As a result, she was sitting across the table from him when his phone rang.

"Jethro, what a surprise. Is everything all right?"

_~Ducky, McGee fell out of the shower and hit his head on the door of the dishwasher.~_

"If Timothy fell in the shower, how on earth did he hit his head in the kitchen? How far did he fall?" Listening to his side of the conversation was enough to get Hetty on her feet.

_~He fell into the basement.~_

"The basement? How did he end up in the basement?" By now dinner had been abandoned and they were both rushing for the door.

_~He fell through two floors and didn't leave a mark on either one of them except for the blood. I can't explain it either, but I need you here and I need to call Hetty.~_

"Miss Lang is with me, Jethro. We're leaving right now."

---NCIS---

While Ducky was upstairs with McGee, Gibbs walked Hetty through the events of the evening and everything McGee had described. Her lack of surprise made Gibbs wonder when this would all be second nature to him. He was sure it would take several lifetimes to get to that point.

Before he could start questioning her, Ducky came down the stairs and joined them in the living room. "He has a mild concussion, but I can't explain the blood."

"I can." Both men turned to look at Hetty in surprise. "He's not teleporting, he's phasing."

"What does that mean?" Gibbs wasn't sure if he should be pleased or not.

Hetty's smile showed that she was pleased. "He can pass through solid objects. There's several base powers that can cause it, but I suspect he is subconsciously shifting on a molecular level."

"Shifting how?"

Gibbs knew Ducky was curious on a scientific level, but he had more pressing concerns. "Is this dangerous for him?"

"It is probably one of the more difficult powers to master. Once he has learned control, he may be the most powerful Super since his parents."

"The head wound, the bleeding..."

"With no control, he was probably sliding between intangible and tangible. He hit the corner of the dishwasher in a moment of tangibility and the impact probably split his scalp. Would you agree with that, Dr. Mallard?"

"From what I can determine, I would agree, but then what happened to the injury?"

Her smile widened with unmistakable pride. "After he hit his head, he became intangible again and fell through the last floor and into the basement. When he phased back into his solid form in the basement, he instinctively recreated his body whole and rejoined the damaged skin."

"He can heal himself?"

"To a point, Jethro." Hetty reached out for his arm. "I don't know how much internal damage he could repair, but something like a cut will be pretty easy for him after some training." She watched her nephew's handler think through what she had told him.

"The nightmare when he ended up under the bed... it wasn't a nightmare, was it?"

"As weak as he was that night, he probably could only hold the intangible state for a fraction of a second. More than likely he was caught inside the mattress. He actually was suffocating."

"My God," Gibbs rubbed his mouth as he thought about it. "How did he survive?"

"Most intangibles hold their breath when they're in flux. When he stopped struggling to breathe, he fell the rest of the way. That sound you heard was him landing on the floor."

It all made sense, and he knew Hetty was right, but the idea that McGee had actually been trapped inside the mattress, dying, while they were staring at it was more than a little unsettling.


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n - I am back and on my new computer. I'm still transferring files and sorting things out, but I do have a chapter done for you guys. Enjoy. My youngest son's marching band took 1st in their division and 8th for the region, and my oldest son survived his 21st birthday, so it was a good weekend. Thanks to all for your comments and reviews.**

"I am the director of a national agency. Tell me again why I am helping you drag a mattress into your basement." Vance did not look thrilled to be there before dawn as they placed another mattress on the basement floor, Gibbs carefully adjusting it to be exactly within the marks he'd chalked onto the cement, twelve feet from another mattress already in place.

Gibbs grinned over his shoulder. "Because your wife told you to."

"Good point." Vance shrugged and helped shift it another two inches to the left. Whatever was going on, he figured he'd find out soon enough.

Apparently, Gibbs was satisfied with the placement, because he turned and retreated back up the stairs. Vance followed, only to be put to work again, moving the table out of the dining room. As they walked back to the kitchen, Gibbs grabbed his arm and insisted he walk around the perimeter of the room and not across it. Vance instinctively looked down at the floor, expecting to see some indication of why they couldn't walk across the room. The only thing there were tape marks. He thought and realized that they matched up with the location of the mattress they had just placed downstairs. Before he could ask the reasons for the marks and the new mattress, McGee appeared above them and then disappeared through the floor.

"What the hell?" Vance instinctively ducked, then looked up at the unmarred ceiling where McGee had appeared. Straightening, he peered down at the floor where he had disappeared before turning back to Gibbs. "When did he start doing that?"

Walking to the basement stairs, Gibbs decided that it was rather fun witnessing someone's reaction to McGee's sleepfalling. A slightly embarrassed voice floated up from the basement. "Thanks, Boss."

"Hey, bring the laundry up with you."

"Sure thing, Boss."

"Did I hear Timothy get up?" Hetty's voice from upstairs distracted Vance. She walked down the stairs like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Good morning, Leon. Did you see Timothy already?"

Vance looked back and forth between Hetty, Gibbs and the basement stairs. "Yeah, he passed by a second ago. Was that what I think it is?"

Hetty came into the kitchen and helped herself to the coffee. "He's an intangible. Once he masters his abilities, he'll be able to phase at will."

Following Hetty's lead, Vance also poured himself a cup of coffee, noticing another set of marks on the kitchen floor. Without being told, he stayed well out of the way of the marks, looking up to determine what was above him.

Gibbs knew exactly what he was looking for. "The shower." Hetty rolled her eyes at the half answer, and quickly brought Vance up to date with the developments. Behind them, Tim arrived up the stairs with a basket of clean clothes.

"Good morning, Director Vance." McGee was blushing when he realized that not only had his boss's boss seen him fall through the ceiling, but now he was standing in front of the man in his boxers. He would have made his escape, but a knock at the door interrupted that.

Smirking, Gibbs made his way to the front door and opened it. On his front porch was a tall, red-headed woman with striking green eyes. Gibbs leaned against the side of the door frame with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

She pointed over her shoulder at a truck carefully parking in front of the house. "You can tell me if you like the present."

The truck was hauling an oversized trailer, necessary to support the weight of the large three mast sail boat it held. Gibbs didn't move to let her in the door as he raised an eyebrow. "What, exactly, did I do to deserve that?"

"Well it only seemed appropriate if I'm going to court your boy."

Gibbs took a better look at the woman. She appeared to be tall because her feet were not touching the ground and well designed make-up hid her age at first glance. She smiled at his realization and floated past him into the house. Hetty and Vance came out of the kitchen, Hetty to challenge their visitor, while Vance blocked the kitchen door.

"Mildred, it's been many years." Hetty's presence seemed to deflate her and the woman settled down until her feet were on the floor.

"Edna, I should have known. Are you here as the boy's bulldog?"

"He has a handler that is more than capable of taking care of him." Hetty leaned into Mildred's personal space with a hard smile. "Consider me support staff. Now, why don't you tell Agent Gibbs exactly what you want to do to his boy."

"Oh, I think I've got a pretty good idea, and you can tell all your other girlfriends what I'm going to tell you. He's going to have a chance to meet a nice young girl his age just like a normal young man. I'm not renting him out for breeding, so take your boat and go home." Gibbs crossed his arms across his chest and waited for her reaction.

She wasn't insulted or surprised, but she did laugh. "That's very quaint, but do you really think it's going to work? He's the only male Super under the age of forty-five, do you honestly think they're going to let him just settle down with his perfect woman and have his little family?"

Gibbs wasn't going to back down. "It's my job to make sure he gets the chance."

"It's also part of your job to make sure he understands his obligations. At least I'm offering to teach him how his powers will affect him in bed." She reached out and ran a finger down the side of Gibbs' face. "I promise I'll make it fun for him."

"Take your boat and get off my property." Gibbs didn't move until she stormed out of the house, passing DiNozzo on her way out. Tony recognized the situation immediately.

"Whoa, was that a Super-cougar wanting our Probie?"

Gibbs gave a snort and shook his head. Leave it to DiNozzo to explain the heart of the matter.

---NCIS---

"He survived the transition?"

Kort studied the man standing in the shadows. Tall and broad in the shoulder, the former SEAL had gratefully joined in his quest, taking control of the western section. Now that they were close, he was getting dangerously anxious. "He survived. Apparently his newfound powers caused quite a ruckus at NCIS yesterday."

"So what is he, a Cyberpath?"

"I don't know. Vance has the information strictly on a need to know basis, and apparently I don't need to know. You might get further than I can." Kort waited to see what the reaction would be.

"I'm supposed to be in LA, sick with the flu, remember? Keep trying to get more information, I'll be in touch."

Hidden on a nearby roof, Ziva snapped pictures of the meeting. Even with the strongest lens, she knew it would take some work for Abby to pull up clear images of Kort's partner.

Kort turned his back on the other man and walked across the park to where he'd left his car. Once behind the wheel, he looked in his rear view mirror at the building next to the grove of trees where they'd met. Gibbs' people were so predictable at times it was almost amusing. Unfortunately, it meant that he'd have to make some decisions very soon.


	14. Chapter 14

**Still sorting out files and I've still got a ton to do to get my email totally up and running, but I do have a new chapter for you guys. (hey, priorities you know) I'm glad you're still with me, now let's see if I can get this monster done before the deadline. Thanks for all the reviews, they do keep me going.**

"You okay, kid?" Tony sat at the kitchen table next to McGee who was nursing a cup of coffee he had no interest in. McGee gave a shrug without looking up, so Tony kept at it. "Do you think she'll be back? Another shrug, but looking over Tim's shoulder at the concerned faces behind them, Tony was undeterred. "We could sic Ziva on her, might be fun to watch." This time the shrug was jerky as Tim bit back a laugh.

Tim was working up to something, Tony could tell so he quieted and waited for the younger man to speak. It took a few minutes as Tim traced his finger across the grain of the table. "She's right about one thing."

"What's that?" Tony knew the others were listening in, but for the moment they were content to let him deal with this.

"All of the other Superheroes are in their forties or older. They've stopped the surgeries until they know what's going wrong, because I'm the only one of the kids to survive the reactivation. I know I'm lucky to have survived, and I'm amazingly lucky to have Gibbs accept being my handler, but…"

"But it still feels like being the only kid at Thanksgiving with all the old folks."

McGee looked up at Tony, startled. The older man worked so hard at his sarcastic, jokester image that it was always a surprise when he understood. "Yeah, I guess so. I mean, all of the women I'm expected to date were probably friends of my mom's and that's kinda…"

When Tim stumbled, trying to find the politically correct explanation, Tony laid it out. "Creepy in a sick Mrs. Robinson kind of way?"

"Yeah, I don't even know anything about my mom and apparently these women want me as some kind of trophy. All I wanted is to do was ask her about my mom."

"Probably not the kind of mood she was trying to create."

McGee gave another laugh. "Probably not.

"So, why haven't you asked Vance or Hetty about your parents yet? You know they're just waiting for you to ask." Tony actually had a pretty good idea, but he wanted to hear it from Tim.

Tim was back to tracing the grain of the table with his fingertip and didn't look up. "When you were a kid, did you ever wish you had different parents?"

"Oh, yeah." It was Tony's turn to be uncomfortable. "What about you, did you know you were adopted?"

McGee spoke rarely about his childhood, even less about his parents. They knew he doted on his sister and missed his late grandmother, but never had he talked about going home for a weekend or complained about missing a family holiday. "I remember them arguing once when I was little. Mom wanted a baby and Dad wasn't sure. She told him she wanted a real kid, not one they were hired to raise."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, the only time they ever talked about Superheroes was about how bad some of them were and the terrible things they did. What if…" Tim's voice faded off with another shrug of his shoulders but Tony didn't need to hear the rest.

"What if your parents were some of them that went bad and caused all the problems? Tony looked over at Vance, trying to warn him that he was about to spill the beans. Vance gave a slight nod of his own in response.

Tony thought for a minute about how best to tell his friend that he knew about his real parents, had been a fan of his father's many years ago. "Listen, Tim, I overheard them talking about your folks and you don't have anything to worry about. Your parents were the best of the best. You should be proud to be their son."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know anything about his secret identity, but your dad was Hawkfire." Tony watched to see if there was any recognition on Tim's face and was relieved to see that he knew the name.

Despite his adoptive parent's quest to keep Tim's knowledge of Superheroes to the twisted version they had been ordered to teach him, it had been impossible to totally shield him from the rumors and stories once he went to school. "Wow, really, are you sure? If he was my father, then that means that my mother was…"

Tony's grin spread as he watched the realization blossom. His bashful, geeky friend was the son of the most famous Superhero couple.

"It means that your mom was Starspirit." Vance came into the room then with a large photo album, followed by Hetty and Gibbs. The two agents watched in the background as Tim learned his true family history.

---NCIS---

If Ziva was surprised by Tony and Gibbs, she didn't show it. Both men were blatantly eavesdropping at the kitchen door when she arrived. After a brief staring match between the two, DiNozzo let her into the house while Gibbs stayed put. "What is going on?"

"Shh." Tony tugged her arm as he returned to his spot next to Gibbs. Ziva joined them in time to hear how Starspirit and Hawkfire had rescued a train filled with orphans captured during a political uprising in Central America.

"His parents were good people, yes?" Ziva smiled at her friend as he looked at the pictures. McGee seemed more animated than she had seen him since this entire episode started.

The wistfulness in Tony's voice was unmistakable. "The best, Ziva, they were the best."

Ziva shifted uncomfortably as she debated interrupting the scene. Gibbs recognized the body language of the former Mossad.

"What'd you find?"

She hesitated, moving back further out of earshot of the kitchen. Concerned, Gibbs and DiNozzo followed her into the living room. "Kort met secretly with someone this morning." She pulled up the photo Abby had cleaned up onto her phone and handed it to Gibbs. "He looks familiar, but I can't place him."

---NCIS---

"You're my aunt, my real aunt?" Tim smiled at the diminutive woman. Her story of his mother's birth and their connection made more sense than Hetty realized. "You're wrong about one thing, though."

Hetty blinked in surprise. She had expected anger or resentment, not to be told that she was wrong. "And what would that be, young man?"

"You're more than just her buffer. It may not be a power like the rest of us have, but you have some kind of ability. I thought I was just getting better, but my migraines stopped when you were with me."

"I'm so glad, Timothy." Hetty stood and wrapped her arms around her seated nephew, kissing the top of his head. "I thought I'd lost everything when your mother died. They never even let me hold you."

Tim leaned into the embrace, wrapping his own arms around her waist. "I'm here, Aunt Hetty, I'm here.

---NCIS---

"I can place him." Gibbs angrily ran his fingers through his hair as he debated how to break the news to Vance and Hetty. Part of his debate was simplified when Vance joined them. He handed the phone to Vance. "Kort's contact in whatever he's up to."

"Hanna?" Vance closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at the scene in the kitchen. "Damn it, this is going to kill Hetty. He's part of her team in Los Angeles." He'd tried to keep his voice down, but Hetty always knew. Still hugging her newly identified nephew she held her hand out and Vance had no choice but to give her the phone.

Hetty didn't say a word as she looked at the image. Once she handed it back, she was immediately dialing her own phone. "Eric, I need a location on Sam Hanna. Track the GPS on his phone."

_~Hetty, he's home with the flu.~_

"His location, Eric." As the search ran, she studied Tim's face, finally free of her self-imposed isolation. His mother's green eyes were framed by features so reminiscent of his father, right down to the slight cleft chin. His frame was slighter than Hawk's had been, but few Supers had ever measured up to him physically. She almost jumped when Eric's voice came back on the line.

_~I don't get it, according to his phone, Sam's in DC.~_

There was a cold anger in Hetty's voice that Vance hadn't heard in years and her team in LA had never heard. "Give me the address, Eric, and if you or anyone else even thinks about warning him, I promise you the results will not be pleasant. Is that understood?"

_~Under…understood, Hetty.~_

Once she had the address turned over to Gibbs' team, Hetty was very clear. "I want him captured alive. I will interrogate him myself."


	15. Chapter 15

**a/n - this one is short, but really needed to stand alone. Thank you all for your wonderful comments, I think you'll like this chapter.**

Sam Hanna seemed more amused than worried to be sitting in an interrogation room at NCIS Headquarters, much like Trent Kort in the next interrogation room over. In the observation room between the two, Vance and Gibbs planned their strategy. Hetty interrupted them with an announcement of her own. "I will interview Sam myself." Without giving either of them a chance to argue, she stormed out and into the interrogation room, slamming the door behind her.

"Hetty?" Sam seemed honestly surprised to see her, but she was not about to let her guard down even as he stood up.

For someone who had never trained to be a field agent, Hetty was remarkably fast on her feet as she crossed the room before Sam could react and had him by the ear, dragging him across the table. "I am only going to give you one chance to tell me what you're up to. After that, not even the Director himself can save you. Is that understood?"

"We just," he paused, looked away from her furious face. "I just needed to know."

"To know what?" When he didn't immediately answer, she slammed her hands down on the table. Even Kort, two rooms over, jumped at the noise. "What was so important that you had to lie to me, lie to your teammates, and risk charges of treason?"

"You don't understand." He thought he'd seen Hetty at her angriest, but never had Sam witnessed this level of fury from the older woman. Sam tried to calm the situation by sitting back down in the chair, but she would have none of that.

Hetty saw the shift when Sam tried to sit down. She still had him pulled across the table and with every ounce of her anger fueled strength she shoved at the table, knocking him to the ground. He lay there stunned; his cuffed hands unable to prevent his fall. "I suggest you start telling me, Mr. Hanna, before I lose my patience with you."

---NCIS---

DiNozzo walked into the interrogation room and stared at Kort. The CIA agent made no effort to hide his amusement either. "I was expecting Gibbs, not you, junior."

"Be glad it's me; you might live through it." Tony looked at the mirror and smiled. "Don't worry, if you piss him off he'll be in here quick enough. Now, are you ready to tell us exactly what you have planned with Hanna?"

Even though his smirk never left, Kort jumped at a sudden noise from the other interrogation room. "Hetty is interrogating Hanna? That should be good. I told him we should have brought Gibbs in at the beginning. How is McGee? I heard he survived."

Usually DiNozzo had at least a vague notion of what Kort was up to, but ever since this Superhero business started the man had not been acting in character. He decided to start at the beginning. "What was your connection to Starspirit?"

Kort had wanted to get started weeks ago, but he'd been forced to wait for McGee to be activated. That didn't mean he couldn't have fun annoying DiNozzo just on principle. "Why do you think there's any connection?"

"Listen, Kort, I could just leave you for Hetty. She appears to be on quite a roll today, and I'm not in the mood to play games. You have an interest in my partner and I want to know what it is. If he's in danger because of something you've done…"

"You NCIS agents are always so melodramatic. We just wanted his help with something, for old time's sake." Kort settled back in his chair, waiting for the reaction.

---NCIS---

"Old time's sake, what the hell is he talking about, Leon?" Gibbs was confused as he looked over at his boss. Over the years, McGee had never had a run-in with Kort as far as Gibbs knew.

Ziva was getting a headache from watching both interrogations at the same time. "We should have put them together to watch their reactions."

"No, they're both too experienced to fall for that." Vance shook his head. "I think Hetty knows more about Kort's back story than any of us do. I should have insisted she handle him instead of Hanna."

Gibbs looked past Vance and into the other interrogation room. Hetty was stalking around a dejected looking Hanna, demanding he tell her the truth. He was pretty sure the only reason the agent hadn't confessed whatever he was hiding was because Hetty had not stopped scolding him long enough for him to say anything.

Vance knew exactly what he was thinking. "She's broken him, she's just too angry to realize it yet." Before he could decide if he should go in and rescue him, Hetty sat down, apparently ready to listen.

---NCIS---

"I'm waiting, Mr. Hanna. Let's start with why you've here in DC and what your interest is with the Superhero program."

"I needed to know." Before Hetty could remind him that he was running out of chances, he continued. "I needed to know why they're dying."

"Why who is dying?"

Sam sagged as he faced what he'd hidden for years, what had happened only months before he joined the OSP division of NCIS. "The children, new Super children are dying. Ask Kort, he has the research. We're sure Hamilton is behind it, but we can't prove it."

"How do you know this, Sam?"

"One of them was my son, Hetty." Hanna reached up with his cuffed hands to wipe at his eyes. "That bastard had my baby boy killed."


	16. Chapter 16

**a/n - big chapter here with lots of info. I was hoping to make yesterday a double dip day, but I didn't quite make it. Expect at least one over the weekend though. Thank you for all the great reviews, they do keep me going.**

Vance stood in his office and looked down at the group circling the table. Hanna and Kort sat across from each other with Hetty and Gibbs' entire team filling the rest of the chairs. He wasn't sure if it was really safe to have McGee there, but the young man was determined to participate. Hetty picked up her teacup and gave a hard look to Vance. He nodded back and turned the meeting over to her.

Sipping at her tea, Hetty watched the two men. Kort was fascinated with McGee and couldn't take his eyes off the young man, while Hanna refused to look at him. Whatever was going on now, it had started years ago and that was where they needed to start. She knew most of the beginnings, but it was not her story to tell. "Mr. Kort, I think it's time you told your story."

"My past has no bearing on what Hamilton is doing now, Edna."

Hetty glared at him over the rim of her teacup. "If you want my nephew to trust you, it's a two way street. I won't force him, and Vance won't order him. You will have to gain his trust the old fashioned way; you will have to earn it."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean, nephew?" Hanna looked back and forth between Hetty and McGee. "But that would mean… you're a… damn," he gave a barking laugh. "I should have known."

"What you should have known is to not go behind my back, Mr. Hanna. Continue, Mr. Kort." Both men squirmed like naughty schoolboys under her glare.

Kort may have been trained as a CIA operative, but training was no match for Hetty. "You're as bossy as you were when I was a kid, Edna." When she gave that mysterious smile that always drove him batty, he shook his head and gave in, telling what few people ever learned about him. "My parents weren't Supers and when I started showing some…" he paused, looking uncomfortable for the first time since Tony had first met him, "abilities, I was on my own pretty quick."

"Abilities, you mean like Superpowers?" Tony was restless and ready to start pacing. Seeing McGee with Superpowers was one thing, but Kort was an entirely different matter.

Kort knew exactly what DiNozzo was thinking. "Not quite, let's just say that in the Superhero world, I would make the team, but be permanently on the bench." He reached out and grabbed Hetty's teacup right before DiNozzo's elbow grazed past where it was. Hetty smiled her thanks as he handed her the cup while DiNozzo was still staring at the table where it had been.

"How did you know that I was going to knock it over?"

"You're a precog, aren't you?" Vance was kicking himself for not noticing before.

Gibbs had been studying the Superhero powers database to understand what might happen to McGee, so he was the first of them to react. "Precognition? You can see the future?"

"A five second head start may keep you alive in a firefight, but in the big picture it doesn't do you a lot of good. If anything it's more of a pain than it's worth most of the time." Still uncomfortable, he looked to Hetty for help.

Hetty took another sip of her tea before she started to explain Trent Kort's connection to her family. "Imagine driving down the road and seeing both the traffic as it is now and also how it will look in a few seconds, when you don't have the training or experience to sort out the images."

Part of Kort was relieved and part of him was angered by the understanding and sympathy he saw on the faces around him, but he bit back both reactions as he and Hetty told the rest of his story. "I was fourteen and wrecked my motorcycle because I swerved to avoid a truck that hadn't pulled out onto the road yet. Hawkfire and Starspirit were the ones that found me and Star saved my life."

At Tim's questioning look, Hetty stepped in. In their talks about his mother, she had only briefly touched on Star's powers. "She could heal by absorbing injuries into herself."

"They took me into their home while I finished recovering, and she taught me how to sort out the images in my head."

What he wasn't saying was apparent, especially since it was evident that Vance didn't know about his powers. McGee spoke for the first time since the meeting started. "Why didn't you join them?"

"Me, a Superhero? Not really my style, kid. Besides, there wasn't much that I could do in comparison to the real Superheroes. Most of the time, my abilities were pretty useless."

There was an odd look on Kort's face and Tim wasn't ready to let go yet. "Most of the time?"

"During Kaunas, I knew Star was in danger, I knew it but no one believed me. I wanted…" Kort broke off, not willing to show such a human response.

"Tell him, Trent." Hetty encouraged him, knowing that whatever he was planning, none of them would trust him unless he were totally honest about what he had been willing to do.

"Hawk was too far away to protect her and she was so close to giving birth. Star could project the illusion of being younger than she was. In the chaos, two teens running away wouldn't have been noticed." Kort's words faded off, he seemed embarrassed to admit trying to help someone.

"You wanted to help hide her, but what would have happened to Tim?" Vance wasn't ready to trust Kort, especially not about his godson.

Kort studied McGee, trying to see all the what-if's that had created the paths they were now on. Vance may have been the one who asked, but it was McGee he needed to understand what he was willing to do. "I would have raised you as my own, somewhere where the government couldn't get their hands on you. At least until it was safe for you and your parents."

The revelation stunned Tim and he didn't answer, but Vance was furious. "You were obsessed with Star."

"No. She was the first person in my life to show me true kindness and I loved her for it. Hawk understood, he wanted her to go into hiding with me, to keep them both safe. The one obsessed with her was Hamilton." He waited, knowing that Hetty would be the first to understand.

"What did he do to my sister?"

The team was so stunned to see the tears in Kort's eyes they almost missed his words. "He wouldn't let her go. He still has her body hidden away, held in stasis."

"He has my mom?"

The look on Tim's face would have broken Trent's heart if he ever admitted to having one. "Aww, hell kid, I'm sorry. He's keeping her like some damn trophy. All these years I've been working my way up through the organization, trying to earn access into the secret levels Hamilton does his research in, but we're running out of time."

"What do you mean, running out of time?"

Of course Gibbs was the one to ask the pertinent question, Kort didn't need his precognitive abilities to see that one coming and he gave a sad smile. "Whatever he's planning, he was waiting for the Supers to be reactivated. Now he's close enough to pulling it off that he's stopped watching the hospitals for new Supers being born."

"You mean new Supers like Agent Hanna's son?" Ziva had been quiet, taking it all in up until now. "What is happening with the children?"

A look passed between the two men, and Hanna took over. "A few years after the Supers were neutralized, the birth rate of Supers being born to normal humans started to rise."

Vance leaned forward, disturbed. This was information that had been hidden away. "Do we have any idea why?"

"Nature abhors a vacuum." As a scientist, the answer was clear to McGee. "There's always been a steady percentage of the population with the Superhero gift. When the living Supers were cut off from their powers the balance was thrown off."

"So, why are they dying? Before, the mortality rate was extremely low, wasn't it?" Vance turned to Hetty, hoping she would have more information than he did.

Hetty didn't have any answers either. "There's no medical reason that I am aware of. The lack of adult Supers with their powers intact should not have any bearing on the babies being born. When your son died, was an autopsy done, Sam?"

"We were led to believe that most babies born with the gift only survived a few hours. The doctor that came convinced me that an autopsy wasn't necessary and would just make it harder on my wife." Sam rested his elbows on the table and pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "He was so perfect one minute and gone the next. Kristin's scared to try again and I need to know what happened."

"As tragic as your loss is, Agent Hanna, what proof do you have that Hamilton is somehow involved?"

Instead of Sam answering the Director, Kort pulled a flash drive out of his pocket and sent it spinning across the table. "He's got five teams scattered across the country tracking the births. Each child he's identified has died within twenty-four hours. The last I heard, Gibbs didn't believe in coincidences."

"No, I don't, which is why I want to know why you've been waiting for McGee."

Kort knew Gibbs wasn't just going to accept him. "Whatever Hamilton is up to, we need at least one Super on the team to find the truth. Your kid is the best hacker there is, even as a normal human. His powers are a bonus, and I'm betting that he's not going to walk away from this because I know his father sure as hell wouldn't have."

"He has my mother's body. I can't walk away, so I guess I'm in, Kort."

McGee intercepted the flash drive and stood to leave with it, but Hetty stopped him. "You don't need a computer, Timothy. Don't push, pull the information."

"Hetty!" Gibbs was alarmed that she would suggest Tim use his abilities in front of two men he didn't completely trust.

"It's a little late to hide what he is, Jethro, and if they are right, we have no time to waste." She returned her attention to McGee, who was still standing next to the table. "Now Tim, sit down and pull the information out of the flash drive."

Looking uncertain, McGee sat back down and stared at the small drive in his hand. Just beneath the surface of the plastic cover, he could feel the knowledge awaiting him. Tim closed his hand around it and opened his mind, this time pulling instead of pushing. He could feel it warming in his hand and then the rush as the information seemed to leap out and into his mind.

The room was silent as they watched him concentrate before his face went slack for a few seconds. It was so quick Tony thought he'd imagined it, but the stunned expressions of the rest of the group told him he hadn't. "You did it, you read that flash drive?"

McGee gave Tony a brief nod before turning his attention to Vance and Gibbs. "They're right, that's too big of a coincidence. If Hamilton is using his position as head of the research lab to kill these children, then we've got to get the evidence to prove it."

Under normal conditions, Gibbs would have agreed with his agent. However, he hadn't even mastered the art of sleeping without falling through the floor. "You're nowhere near ready to go on any kind of op, you know that."

Hetty also knew the problem, but she was convinced that she was also looking at the quickest solution. "Mr. Hanna, are you willing to assist me with Timothy's training?"

Sam didn't have time to answer. "Him, you want me to trust him with McGee?" Gibbs stood and rested his fists on the table in an obvious challenge to the older woman. Hetty didn't let it faze her.

"Agent Hanna still has my trust. Besides, his goals cannot be met unless Timothy is successfully trained to control his powers. What better motivating factor could there be?"

As Tim's handler, Gibbs had the authority to shut down any attempt they might make, so Hetty went for the heart of the matter. "We need someone with extensive diving knowledge to teach Tim how to hold his breath for extended periods of time. Agent Hanna is a former SEAL."

Gibbs still wasn't thrilled, but he knew why the SEAL training would be so crucial to Tim's survival as he phased through solid objects and traveled through cyberspace. "You better be right about him, Hetty."

"If I'm wrong, he will be executed on the spot, Jethro. You have my word on that." Hetty stared at Hanna as she spoke. "No one will use Timothy's training as an opportunity to harm him in any way."

Definitely feeling in over his head already, Sam gave a short nod before Hetty announced the plans. "We will fly back to Los Angeles in the morning to begin his training."


	17. Chapter 17

**a/n - I though it was funny on NCIS-LA that Abby always refers to the Director as Leon, oh and the whale meat thing is real. Kicking it up into high gear this weekend, so enjoy.**

"Boss, you can't be serious." The argument had been going on for almost an hour, but DiNozzo wasn't ready to give up. Neither was Ziva.

"Tony is correct. You and McGee will be clear across the country and it would take us hours to get to you if you run into trouble. Hetty is already here, why not stay here for McGee's training and let us help with it?"

Gibbs sighed as he rubbed his eyes. It was already 2200 and he'd sent Tim up to bed almost the second they'd arrived back home. "It has always been the plan to go to Los Angeles for his training. That's where the training facility is." He didn't mention that up until that day, it had also been the plan to bring the team with them. Now he needed them to continue the investigation.

"Do you trust Hanna?"

DiNozzo's question certainly hit a nerve, but he'd had time to think and to calm down. Gibbs and McGee had both worked with Hanna before, but more than anything, Gibbs understood the lengths a parent would go to gain justice for a murdered child. "Yeah, I trust him, Tony. His background makes him the perfect addition to Tim's training team. Now, I am counting on the two of you to keep the investigation going while we're gone. We need to know what they're up to and who else is involved."

"All right, if you say so, Boss." Tony pulled on his coat as he and Ziva prepared to leave. He looked across the basement as he headed for the stairs. "Do you want me to help you move those mattresses? How'd they end up on the floor?"

"No, they need to stay where they are." Before Tony could ask why his boss's basement floor was littered with assorted mattresses he saw his answer.

"McGee!" Ziva's shriek startled Tony almost as much as seeing Tim fall into the basement. Gibbs ignored them both and helped him to his feet.

"Can't I just sleep down here, Boss?" In his sweatpants and faded t-shirt, McGee looked even younger than he was. His sleepy expression and rumpled hair didn't help the illusion. To the older man all he needed was a teddy bear to drag behind him.

Forcing back the smile that threatened, instead he guided McGee to the stairs. "I don't think that's a good idea, Tim. What if you ooze into the mattress and get stuck?" He watched Tim retreat back upstairs before turning to the rest of the team still in the basement.

"Does he do that often?" Ziva was still looking at where he'd come through the wooden ceiling.

"Usually when he snores."

Tony reached out and touched where McGee had landed. "When did he start doing that? More importantly, what was that?"

It was a lot more fun to be on this end of the explanation, Gibbs decided. "He's phasing. He can move through solid objects, but he doesn't have any control yet. Do you remember the night his fever broke, when he vanished from his bed?"

"Yeah…" Tony was still staring at the mattress; Ziva hadn't taken her eyes off the ceiling.

"He was trapped inside the bed, suffocating. He fell the rest of the way after he stopped breathing."

"What?" Every joke Tony could ever think of suddenly dried up in his mind, to be replaced with horrifying images of what could go wrong for McGee.

Ziva finally moved to stand in front of Gibbs. "His training will be critical. We will find the answers here and be ready when you return."

---NCIS---

It wasn't until the plane was rolling onto the runway that Gibbs realized how terrified McGee was. "What's wrong? Flying never bothered you before."

Tim had a white knuckled grip on the armrest of his seat. "That was before I knew I could fall out of the plane. That kind of puts a twist on having a nice, relaxing flight."

"You're going to be fine, Tim. We'll just have to keep you awake for the flight."

"Yeah." He didn't sound convinced and after a moment, Gibbs reached out and wrapped his fingers around McGee's arm.

"Tell me about your sister, I bet she was a livewire when she was little."

"You mean she's not one now?"

Both men chuckled and Gibbs used his other hand to lightly cuff McGee on the back of his head. "So tell me about a time she got herself into trouble."

While Sam and Hetty watched from across the aisle, Gibbs and Tim kept up a steady stream of conversation for the entire flight.

---NCIS---

"Hi, I would like some information, please." Ziva gave a slight smile as she looked down, hoping to appear shy and bashful when in actuality she was sweeping the desktop with the camera hidden in the glasses she wore.

The woman at the desk seemed pleasant enough if you ignored the blank smile. "Of course, and welcome to the Superhero Rescue Alliance. Would you like general information, or are you inquiring on behalf of a Super who wishes to escape the tyranny?"

"Well, I would like to start with the general information, but…" She let her voice fade off, waiting to see what the reaction would be. The receptionist fell right into the trap.

"It's all right to be cautious, these are dangerous times." The mousey woman leaned close and dropped her voice to a whisper. "I'll slip the other information inside this packet. There's a phone number inside if you know of someone who needs an emergency rescue."

"Can it be done quickly?"

"Absolutely. We can have someone out of the country and safely to the island within eight hours of their confirmation."

"Confirmation?" Ziva had no idea what the woman was talking about but she played along.

"We must confirm their identity as a real Superhero and not someone who is trying to infiltrate our organization. You understand, of course." The vacuous smile was back.

"Of course, I guess it is just hard to understand how much danger my friend is in." Ziva gave what she believed was a sincere smile. "I just hope that my friend is ready to save himself."

"That's all we can do in these troubled times, my dear."

Ziva could feel the cold blue eyes on her back all the way out to the car. She didn't relax until she was back inside the Yard.

---NCIS---

Callen sat in the SUV outside baggage claim and waited for Hetty and her guests. Not that he really minded playing chauffeur, but he was worried about how he was going to get Hetty up in the tall vehicle. In the rear view mirror he saw her approach with her typical forceful gait, but it was the men following her that had him stunned. He climbed out of the driver's seat and met them halfway. "Sam, what are you doing here? I thought you were home with the flu."

"Yeah, well…" Hanna seemed embarrassed as he followed behind Hetty. She answered for him.

"Mr. Hanna has been just full of surprises these last few days. Well come along, we haven't all day." Even long legged McGee had to rush to keep up with Hetty as she moved towards the Suburban. Callen fell in next to Gibbs.

"Hey, didn't know you were coming out here. Have we got a joint operation coming up that I don't know about?"

Gibbs smiled at McGee before slapping Callen on the back. "Something like that."

No matter how much Callen stared, Gibbs didn't tell him anything else as they loaded the luggage in the back. Much to his surprise, it was McGee who gently helped Hetty into the back seat before joining her. He'd only briefly met the younger agent on a case, but at the time he'd never have guessed McGee would even have the nerve to speak to Hetty, let alone bond with her. Gibbs walked around and climbed in the back seat with them, leaving the front seat for the two Los Angeles agents.

Construction had slowed traffic down to a crawl on the freeway and Callen tried to make small talk as the crept along. "Should I have Eric call and make hotel reservations for the two of you? The Hilton is nice and it's close to the new office."

"Boss, that's a high-rise, I can't…"

"Easy there, McGee, we're not putting you in any kind of hotel like that. You'll be safe." Gibbs reached behind Hetty and squeezed Tim neck. "Hetty and I already talked about it and it's been taken care of."

"Absolutely." Hetty wrapped her hands around his arm and leaned against him. "You're safe, I promise. You just have to stay awake a little bit longer and then it will be safe to rest." Callen watched the exchange in the rear-view mirror before turning to Hanna in confusion.

Hanna gave the slightest shake of his head before closing his eyes to end any possible conversation. He had been up all the previous night as Hetty and Director Vance had brought him up to speed on NCIS's new Super and planned out his training. Usually he could sleep on an aircraft, but the realization of why McGee was suddenly scared of flying made it impossible. He wondered what powers his own little boy would have had, and what it would have been like to train him. Why did McGee live when so many others did not? And, most importantly, how was he supposed to help Hetty and Gibbs turn this timid computer geek into a kick-ass Superhero in less than a week?

---NCIS---

"Miss Sciuto, what did you find?" Leon handed Abby a Caf-Pow as ordered by Gibbs. She grabbed it gratefully and slurped down half of it without taking a breath.

"Thanks, Leon, I really needed that."

Vance just rolled his eyes. Somewhere along the way, their forensic scientist had decided they were best friends. "What did you find?" He repeated the question, hoping to keep her on track.

She just grinned at him. "It was the coolest thing. I found absolutely nothing."

He didn't have a clue why she was so excited about coming up empty handed, but one thing he'd learned about Abby was that if he waited, she would just keep talking. She didn't disappoint him.

"Well, yeah, that's what we wanted to find. I went through the hard drive of every computer that McGee travelled through on his way to the lab. There was no trace of him being in any of them. Not even the one in my lab that he jumped out of. His movement is untraceable, a perfect hack of any system he's in. Isn't that cool?"

He couldn't help but grin. "Yes, Abby, that is very cool." She continued on, not even noticing his answer.

"I talked to the guys down in cybercrimes and they're coming up with all sorts of things they think he can do. When they have it all listed out, I'll send it to Gibbs so that they can work it into his training while he's in LA. Have you seen the shrine?"

It took Vance a minute to catch up with her. "Shrine, what shrine?"

"In cybercrimes, of course." When he didn't seem to recognize what she was talking about, she explained more. "They set up an extra computer for him to come through anytime he wants. They've got extra clothes for him and snacks laid out in case he's hungry when he comes through. I think it's kind of sweet." Abby laughed as she spoke.

Vance had to laugh too. "What kind of snacks did they get him?"

"Toasted pumpkin seeds, beef jerky and air-dried raw Beluga Whale meat." She waited for the reaction.

"Air dried what?"

Abby grinned at his expression. "Whale meat. The Eskimos consider it a delicacy and it's like ten times higher in iron than liver."

Vance tried unsuccessfully to suppress his shudder. "Do me a favor, Miss Sciuto, and don't tell my wife about the whale meat. I do not want that showing up at my house."

"Aye aye, Sir." Still grinning, she gave a snappy salute as he walked out the door.


	18. Chapter 18

**a/n - You guys still with me? If you're lost, bringing the LA team up to speed should help you too.**

Callen refused to be surprised when they carried their luggage into headquarters. He was between places again and there weren't enough sofas in the place to go around if Gibbs and McGee were planning on crashing here too. Hetty looked around at the agents working hard on the surveillance for the weapons smuggling case they were gearing up for. She rapped her knuckles on the doorway to get their attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have been assigned a special project. The case will have to wait. If you will all come with me, we will start the briefing." She walked down a lesser used hallway, expecting them to follow her. Gibbs and McGee were right behind her, with the LA team scrambling to catch up.

She led them into what appeared to be an old coat closet before stopping. She studied each of her team members carefully before she spoke again. "To me this is the most important operation we have ever undertaken. There will be no room for error or any form of prejudice. As I have already explained to Mr. Hanna, Agent Gibbs and I have been authorized to eliminate anyone we feel is a threat to what we are about to do." She waited while a murmur of shock went through the group. "I will tell you this only once, if you question your abilities to handle this, leave now. This has been planned for quite some time and each of you were assigned here because we felt you had what it takes."

Nate Getz stepped in front of Hetty, interrupting her. "Hetty, what is going on?" She ignored him as she continued to address the group.

"If any of you are going to leave, close the door on your way out." No one moved and Hetty nodded her approval. "Very well. What you are about to see has never been seen by anyone outside of Homeland Security's Department of Superheroes."

"Superheroes?" Dominic grinned and high fived Kensi. "Man, that is so cool."

"Cool, indeed, Mr. Vail. However, the health and safety of every Superhero that comes through here will be our responsibility, so a little decorum, please." The closet vibrated slightly as they realized it was an elevator. Once the movement stopped, Hetty moved a garment bag out of the way to reveal a security panel. She typed in a twelve digit code, and when that was accepted she moved on to the retinal scan. Replacing her glasses, she stepped to the last panel and pulled down the microphone.

"Edna Mode" A moment later the ceiling opened up and a large automated gun lowered down, swinging around to target the group and Hetty rushed to finish, "and guests." They all breathed a sigh of relief when the gun retracted and the wall opened up. Hetty walked through and the rest of them followed in shock.

Hetty continued down the wide corridor and into a large room, simply furnished with a large table, comfortable chairs and a well appointed wall of computers. A small kitchenette was through a doorway while two more hallways led off from the other side. She stood behind the chair at the head of the table. "Welcome to the NCIS Superhero Training Facility. Mr. Hanna, would you be so kind as to make a cup of tea for our first guest?"

Sam knew this was some kind of test. "Is there anything he shouldn't be exposed to?"

"Very good, Mr. Hanna. He does have some food allergies we must concern ourselves with at some point, but everything in the kitchen is safe for him. Perhaps some herbal tea might be best; Timothy does not need any caffeine today." Sam nodded and started the water as he had done several times for Hetty. While the water was warming, he also put on a pot of coffee for the rest of them.

Tim was rather embarrassed to have her make such a fuss. "Coffee would have been fine, Hetty."

"Nonsense, my dear boy, you spent several days near death before suffering a concussion. You haven't had more than a few hours sleep at any time since your surgery and you are still suffering from the migraines the removal triggered, not to mention your falls."

Even though he was a psychologist and not a medical doctor, Nate knew a patient when he saw one. "Sounds like you've had a hard time of it."

Tim smiled at his newly found aunt. "It's had its moments."

As the operational psychologist, Nate was the first to pick up on the subtle changes in both Hetty and Sam. "This is more than just a new assignment, isn't it? It's not a coincidence that we're the training center."

"You are correct, Dr. Getz. I was brought into NCIS just for this occasion."

Callen may not be a psychologist, but as a trained operative he knew how to read people. "McGee is a Super." It was a statement, not a question. "So why did they send you to New York when he and Gibbs were out here the last time?"

Hetty gave a sad smile as she remembered how heartbroken she had been to be sent away that week. "They weren't sure I could keep quiet."

Dominic stared at Hetty. He was completely intimidated by her and was convinced she could keep any secret. "They thought you'd tell that he was a Super?"

"No," Hetty reached out and took Tim's hand. "They were afraid I would tell him that he's my nephew."

It took a great deal to stun the entire LA office into silence, but those words and Hetty's beaming face was enough to do it. Since he'd had time to get used to it, Sam broke the silence as he brought in the tea and the coffee. "I suggest you guys remember that, because if something happens to Tim, we'll be facing Aunt Hetty."

After a collective shudder, Kensi had a question. "So, if he's your nephew, is it his father or his mother that…" Her mouth snapped closed as she realized how personal of a question she was asking her supervisor.

Hetty wasn't offended, if anything it was a wonderful relief to be able to openly speak of her beloved baby sister. "Timothy's mother, my sister, was Starspirit."

"Whoa, man, she was one hot…" Dominic shut up, realizing who he was talking about. "Umm, sorry, she was a beautiful and talented woman."

Callen didn't even try to hide his grin. "Nice recovery, Dom. So what kind of powers does the kid have? Now that I think about it, what kind of powers do you have, Hetty, and why did you use the name Edna upstairs?"

"Edna was my name before the uprising. As for Timothy's powers, I think a small demonstration might be in order."

Gibbs wasn't so convinced. "Hetty?"

She pointed to the bank of computers. "These have not been physically linked to the outside network yet, he can't go past this room."

"He also hasn't had his pills."

"Actually, Boss," Tim interrupt, "Hetty had me take them before the flight."

Hetty finally released Tim's arm so he could stand. "Luck favors the prepared, Jethro."

McGee sat at the closest computer station. Perhaps it was his comfort with computers, but this aspect of his powers was already within his ability to control on a basic level. He picked another station as his target and pushed into the system. As he exited he managed to get his arms up to protect his face. It still wasn't the most graceful landing, but at least it didn't draw blood this time.

Eric was the first to find his voice. "That was so cool. What do you see when you're in there? Can you feel it? Is it cold? How do you know where you're going? How'd you get out, heck how did you get in?"

"Eric!"

"Sorry, Hetty," he had been pacing as he rattled of his questions. Now he stopped and pulled McGee back onto his feet. "That was the neatest thing I've ever seen. How did you do that?" Not giving him time to answer, Eric turned to Hetty. "How does he do that?"

"Timothy is an intangible. His body changes on a molecular level to allow him to telekinetically move between atoms and to enter a computer network. It's called phasing and also allows him to travel through a solid object."

"Through a solid object? You mean he can walk through a wall, stuff like that?" Callen could already see the possibilities.

"Maybe, right now I have no control over it. I can push into a computer or pull data to me, but the rest of it…"

"Right now Timothy phases in his sleep. Part of what we need to do is help him learn to consciously control it."

"You phase in your sleep?" Callen thought back to a conversation on the drive from the airport. "I guess that's why you didn't want to stay at a high-rise."

"It was bad enough falling into the basement at Gibbs' place. Can you imagine falling into somebody else's hotel room?"

"Wow, so why in your sleep?" This may be like no other sleep disorder study he'd been on, but Nate was fascinated with the connection between sleeping and phasing.

McGee shrugged his shoulders. "It has something to do with the way I breathe, I guess." Truth be told, the interrupted nights of sleep had him so drained he had given up on trying to understand. Hetty confirmed what he thought.

"Most intangibles can only phase when they're holding their breath. His breathing slows in sleep and then suddenly he's falling through his bed and the floor." Hetty took a sip of her tea. "It's not exactly conducive to a good night's sleep."

"Then that's what we need to work on first. If you're exhausted and still recovering, it would probably affect your control."

Hetty knew their good doctor well enough to know he had an idea. "What are you suggesting?"

Nate was already scrolling through his contacts. "I worked on a sleep apnea study in grad school. I'm thinking that the resources we used for our patients might help McGee. I can get a CPAP machine here within the hour, or even better, a bilevel PAP."

Gibbs wasn't sure about other people making decisions without his input. "What exactly are those?"

"Sleep apnea patients have gaps in their breathing when they're sleeping. These are devices that keep a constant air flow into the lungs, so it should help."

"It sounds like it might be worth a try." Gibbs gave his authorization as McGee's handler and Dominic was sent out to retrieve it.

Eric was still staring at McGee in awe and Sam knew his team well enough to know that they needed the entire story to be able to focus, but first he had his own confessions to make. "When Dom gets back, Gibbs and Hetty can tell you everything you need to know about Superheroes, but there's something I need to tell you first."

He looked around the table. Hetty gave him an encouraging smile, while his own team looked curious. "There's been some questions about the integrity of the man running the research lab testing Superheroes, and I've been hooked up with some guys that are trying to determine what he's up to. That's why I lied about having the flu. I was in DC to check out McGee and see if he would help us."

Callen trusted his partner, so he only needed details. "This guy at the lab…"

"Oscar Hamilton."

"Okay, Hamilton, what is he suspected of doing?"

"Ever since the uprising, almost every new Super thats born…" Sam swallowed hard. "They're dying within a couple of days, and Hamilton or his lackeys are always around when it happens."

Kensi was horrified. "You mean he's killing children, babies? How did you find out?"

Sam stared at a spot on the far wall, "Because one of them was my son."

"Your son?"

"Oh, Sam."

"Sam, I'm so sorry."

Gibbs spoke up, as much to give Hanna a moment to pull himself together as to give the group more information. "Whatever Hamilton has planned, it's going to happen soon and we think he's targeting the Superheroes that have been reactivated. He tried to get the courts to take McGee away from NCIS, and…"

Knowing that Gibbs was hesitating to protect him, McGee jumped in. "Hamilton appears to have had an anti-Super agenda dating back to before the uprising. It's even possible he may have had a hand in the uprising itself." Tim smiled at his stunned handler and aunt. "I know you guys were trying to protect me, but I already knew about Hamilton's movie making career. Those were the only movies about Superheroes my adoptive family ever let me watch."

"I should have known." Gibbs shook his head.

Tim reached out and took Hetty's hand as he laid out the facts for the rest of them. "I'm the only Super of my generation to survive being reactivated. The future Supers never had a chance, and the only thing tying it all together is Hamilton."

Callen saw the determination on the faces of not only McGee, but on Sam's and Gibbs' as well. "As soon as you're trained we're going after Hamilton." When McGee nodded, Callen grinned and slapped Sam on the back. "Cool, I always wanted to be a Superhero's sidekick."

A chime from the computer told Hetty that Dominic was back and she stood to let him in, handing Tim his now lukewarm cup. "You are going to finish your tea and then you are going to get some safe sleep while Jethro and I bring the rest of the group up to speed."


	19. Chapter 19

**a/n - Okay, not much interest in the story today. Oh, well, I did promise a double dip over the weekend, so here it is.**

"So, what do we have, ladies?" Vance cooled his coffee to the perfect temperature as he waited for Ziva and Abby to give their reports.

Ziva started first. "The Superhero Rescue Alliance is funded by a shell company within a shell company within a…"

"Let me guess, another shell company?" Vance groaned at the two-fold news. It certainly made it harder to track, but it also told them that the group had something to hide.

"Yes, I was only able to get one name. Thomas Richard Portwood is the lawyer who filed their paperwork. He was also on retainer for Hamilton Productions back when Hamilton was still making movies."

Vance raised an eyebrow at that piece of news. "That's an odd connection, keep digging. Abby, what were you able to pull from the images Ziva captured for you?"

"Most of the stuff on her desk was junk and more copies of the propaganda she gave Ziva, but there was one thing." She pulled up an image on the plasma in Vance's office. "A corner of a map was visible and you can just see a few miles of what looks to be coastline. I'm running a search to see if I can identify the location."

"She mentioned something about an island." Ziva remembered the woman's attitude, as if Supers were helpless children. "It's where they take their rescued Superheroes. She made it sound like some wildlife preserve where they could run free."

"We need to find that island." He knew he didn't have to explain the importance of their work or how disturbing he found the SRA.

---NCIS---

"Good morning, sleepyhead, did you enjoy your nap?" Tim awoke to see Gibbs leaning against the door. The sleeping quarters he'd been given were basic but comfortable. He pulled the mask off his face as he sat up.

"I didn't fall at all, how long did I sleep?"

Gibbs walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, the relief evident on his face. "Getz's idea really worked, you slept almost nineteen hours straight through. How do you feel?"

McGee was stunned. "Nineteen hours, wow. I feel good, in fact I feel really good, not even a headache. I'm starving, though."

"That's good." Gibbs slapped his knee and stood up. "Hetty's fixing breakfast and the rest of the gang should be back here in a few minutes. They know everything that's going on and we have your training sessions all planned out."

"Should I be worried?" In truth, he already was. Gibbs looked entirely too cheerful this morning.

"Worried, why would you be worried?" Gibbs turned so Tim couldn't see his grin. "You're going to get a combined version of Marine Corps and SEAL training condensed down into a week. What's wrong with that? Now snap to it, time's a'wasting."

Tim fell back onto the bed. Oh, God, I am so dead."

---NCIS---

Oscar Hamilton sent his secretary on an errand and locked his office door before calling a burn phone. "Have you located him yet?"

_~The last anyone saw of McGee was him at the airport in Los Angeles. He's not registered in any hotel we can find.~_

"You idiot, did you try tracing his handler?" Hamilton bit back a curse. Not having the boy was delaying his plans.

_~Of course I did. They were traveling together, vanished at the same time. If we knew what powers he was developing it might help.~_

"If he was in our custody, we'd know his powers, you idiot. Keep looking." He disconnected the call before throwing the phone in his desk drawer. He stared out the window. "Do you really think you can hide him from me, Edna? Los Angeles may be big, but it's not that big."

A light on his desk showed him that Clara was back in the outer office. He reached out and pointed at the door, unlocking it from his chair before he touched the intercom. "Clara, tell Mr. Kort I wish to speak to him."

---NCIS---

Even though his appetite was better than it had been since his implant was removed, Tim ate a light breakfast knowing that he was going to be pushed hard. Gibbs gave him a knowing look and started to lay out the plans.

"All right, McGee, we need to start building up your strength, stamina and lung capacity. That's going to be Callen's job along with weapons. Hanna and I are going to concentrate on your hand to hand combat skills, while Eric is going to help you sort out what you can with a computer. Dominic is going to help Hetty with improving your control along with Kensi. Dr. Getz will be available for a daily debriefing."

Callen rubbed his hands in anticipation. "All right, McGee, let's hit the treadmill. Say, when do you get your Superhero name?"

Tim hadn't actually thought about his new identity and turned to Hetty. She smiled as she picked up a sketchbook. "His identity and image will be ready when he is."

"His image?" Dominic thought for a minute before he realized what Hetty meant. "Oh, his Superhero costume, are you going to design that, Hetty?"

"But of course."

Despite all the potential problems McGee could face, Callen was as intrigued as Dominic was. "You're going to dress him in something sharp, right, Hetty? Something sharp and classy, maybe a little old school with a cape."

"No capes."

"Shouldn't that be McGee's decision?"

Instead of answering Callen, she pointed her pencil at Tim. "Do you know of Thunderhead? Tall, storm powers, good with children, went to school with your father."

"No, I…"

"November 15th, two years before the uprising. All was well, another day saved, when his cape snagged on a missile fin."

Other than Hetty, Gibbs was the only one in the room old enough to remember that. "Okay, but if I remember, he wasn't the brightest bulb…" If he'd known Hetty better, he'd have known she was getting wound up.

"Stratogale, cape caught in a jet turbine!"

Gibbs may have been slow on the uptake, but Callen was already trying to backpedal. "Well, okay, but you're always telling us we shouldn't generalize."

"Metaman: express elevator, Dynaguy: snagged on takeoff, Splashdown: sucked into a vortex! No capes! Now everyone get to work, Timothy's new suit will be ready when he is."

---NCIS---

Callen checked the stopwatch as he tossed McGee a towel. "Your five mile time was better than I was expecting."

"Well, I am a field operative, not just a geek." Tim finished wiping down his face before opening a new water bottle. "Now what?"

"You've got a few minutes before you have to meet up with Hetty." Callen looked around before he continued. "She's really your aunt? What's it like to have real family all of a sudden? Not that your adoptive family isn't real, but…"

"No, I understand exactly what you mean." Tim sat on the bench, leaving enough room for Callen to join him. "My adoptive parents were hired to raise me and to make sure I never learned anything good about Superheroes. They were strict, not because they cared, but because if I screwed up they'd have to answer for it."

That was something Callen could relate to. "Sort of like foster parents who are only in it for the money."

"Yeah, kind of, but my sister and I are close and my grandmother was a really nice lady, so it wasn't all bad. Anyways, Hetty is Hetty. How do you explain her?"

Callen had to bite back a laugh. "I hear you, man."

---NCIS---

"Sarah?" After several hours of searching the campus, DiNozzo found the young woman sitting under a tree, staring at a book.

She looked up at him, angrily brushing away her tears. "What do you want, Agent DiNozzo? I'm studying for a test."

"It might help if the book was right side up." Tony sat on the grass next to her and waited. He heard a sniffle, then a sob. When her shoulders started to shake, he pulled her close and let her cry. "He's okay, Sarah. We're not going to let anything bad happen to him. It's going to be all right." He waited for the storm to pass before tilting her face back to look at her. "He's your brother, but he's our friend and partner."

"He's gone." She started to tear up again. "I went to Agent Gibbs' home to talk to him and nobody's there anymore. The neighbor said they packed up and left."

Tony was beginning to understand her fears. "When was the last time you talked to your dad?"

"This morning, he said… he said…"

"He said some pretty terrible things, didn't he?" Sarah wouldn't look him in the eye, but she nodded. "Sarah, your dad is wrong about your brother and he's wrong about Superheroes."

"He hates Tim. How could anyone hate my brother?"

"I don't know." Decision made, Tony stood up and pulled Sarah up with him. As he led her to his car, he called Vance. "Director Vance? It's DiNozzo, does your wife have some time today? I've got a young woman here that wants to learn about her brother's new life."


	20. Chapter 20

**a/n - okay, yesterday was on odd one on the site. Hopefully you were able to stay with me, cause things are heating up.**

Five seconds may not be much, but at times they were enough. Kort carefully started coughing as he opened the door to Hamilton's outer office. As predicted, Clara was immediately sympathetic. "Oh, you poor man, what are you doing here if you're sick?"

"The old man summoned me, remember?" A well timed shiver and he had her eating out of his hand.

"Hopefully he won't keep you too long. I'll buzz you right in."

Kort sat across the desk from Hamilton, still coughing. His voice was rough as he performed his daily check in. "Sorry I'm late, sir. I've been meeting with the legal team." He stopped to cough again. "They still haven't found a loophole to help us get McGee away from NCIS."

The more Kort talked, the more Hamilton leaned back away from him. "You're sick? What are you doing here if you're sick?"

"I was told I had to report to you today in person, sir." He shivered again to make his point. There were advantages to having a boss that was phobic about germs.

Hamilton was breathing as shallow as he could until he could get Kort out of his office. "You know the rules, call in all your reports until seventy-two hours after you stop showing symptoms. Now, go." Dismissing him from his mind, he turned his attention to his own health. "Clara, Clara get in here."

Expecting the summons, she rushed into the office with the disinfecting wipes and started wiping down his desk. Now ignored, Kort made his way out of the office and out of the building, making sure to cough when he passed other members of Hamilton's staff. It wasn't until he was in his car and out of the parking lot that he allowed himself to smile. Now he had time to prepare.

---NCIS---

It was probably the longest three hours of McGee's life, but to see the look of pride on his aunt's face when he was able to casually walk through the wall and into her office was totally worth it. She hugged him and then kicked his training up another notch with Kensi and Dominic grinning from behind her. By the time he was released for hand to hand training with Gibbs and Hanna, they had compiled a list of materials he could carry with him when he phased. Gibbs had been watching through the security monitors, equally pleased.

"Okay, McGee, you've had a pretty good day so far. Now we're going to start the hard stuff." Gibbs bounced lightly on his toes as Hanna continued to stretch. "It's time to learn how to fall correctly."

"Joy."

---NCIS---

"How is she taking it?" Vance didn't even let DiNozzo sit down before he was peppering him with questions.

Tony sprawled into the nearest chair, much more at ease with the Director than he had been even a month earlier. "Mrs. Vance gave her the true history lesson about Supers and now they're baking cookies together while Sarah asks questions."

Vance tilted his head in acknowledgement. Not only was McGee going to have a second chance with his sister, there were going to be fresh cookies waiting at home. A win-win situation if he'd ever seen one. "Did you ask her anything about her involvement with the SRA?"

"Nope, not yet. I thought it would be better if she understood first that her brother's really going to be all right, and not some slave to the agency. Her dad's taught her some really twisted ideas about what Superheroes." Tony stood up to leave. "Hopefully, Ziva and I will have some facts to show her about the Rescue Alliance by tonight."

Vance waited until he was at the door. "DiNozzo, if my wife asks, were the cookies she sent back with you good?"

Busted, Tony's head dropped. "Yes, sir, they were very good."

"What flavor?"

Tony pulled a ziplock baggie out of his jacket pocket. There were some crumbs and a partial cookie still inside. "Umm, oatmeal with butterscotch chips."

"My favorite."

"Mine too."

---NCIS---

"Better, let's do it again." Without giving McGee a chance to catch his breath, Hanna pulled him back onto his feet. Gibbs stayed back and observed, mentioning subtle things to Tim to help him improve his stance and balance. He was a quick study when he put his mind to something, which meant they were making good progress. Sam grabbed Tim's arm and twisted. The younger man went with it and rolled back onto his feet easily.

Gibbs grinned at McGee's smirk right before he turned the tables on Hanna. Not letting go as he rolled to his feet, he sent Hanna flying before releasing his grip. "Okay, hotshot, let's see you take what you've learned and jump out of a computer without smashing your face against the floor." He ruffled Tim's hair as the two of them left the gym and returned to the main room.

Hanna watched with a wistful expression as they left. He'd had his doubts about McGee's ability to learn to control his powers and he'd certainly had his doubts as to Gibbs' ability to take on the role of handler, but the two of them worked well together. With a sigh, he followed them.

Seven computer were along the wall in the conference room. Since yesterday they had been fully brought online with the heaviest firewall available keeping their work safe. Hetty and Eric were working at one of the stations, while Kensi was at another one. All three looked up as McGee and the others came in. Hetty looked up at them and moved away from her terminal. "Am I correct that Timothy is here to practice his landings?"

"He's definitely ready." Gibbs patted him on the back before moving out of his way. "Remember to take a couple of good deep breaths before you start." Tim nodded and started the deep breathing routine Hanna had taught him earlier.

Eric moved to stand next to Sam. "Why the deep breathing?"

"Remember, there's no oxygen in cyberspace." Hanna's simple reminder silenced Eric as they turned to watch. Tim centered himself and sat in front of one of the terminals. Seconds later, he rolled out of another one and gracefully regained his feet in one fluid movement.

"Well done, Timothy." Hetty clapped as she beamed at her nephew. He grinned back at her and dove into another computer. Four seconds later he effortlessly appeared out of the computer at the far end of the wall. This time he had an odd expression on his face.

"I want to try something." Before they could ask, he had jumped back into the system. Five seconds passed, then ten. By the time they were at fifteen seconds, Gibbs was getting worried.

"Eric, where in the hell is he?"

---NCIS---

"We found the island." Abby's words were unusually short and clipped before she hung up the phone. Vance took the stairs down to the squad room to collect Tony and Ziva before taking the elevator down to the lab. Jimmy and Ducky were bent over some old maps laid out on one of the metal tables while Abby was at the computer.

"What have you got?" He moved straight for Abby, surprised at how closely she was staring at the screen.

"Something really hinky." She turned to face him. "What, no Caf-Pow?"

He raised an eyebrow. "After your report. Now, what can you tell me about the island they're using."

"Well, it's gone, but that's not the hinky part." Abby paused, now that she had her audience's attention.

Vance looked past her at the monitor, wanting answers in a hurry. "What do you mean it's gone?"

"Take a look at this old map that was published before the uprising." It was Ducky that started explaining, which meant Vance was not going to get his quick answer. "We found the island right here, in the South Pacific. Strangely, it's not shown on any map printed since the uprising."

While Vance looked at the map, Ziva had her own question. "I thought the uprising was centered in Eastern Europe. Why would it affect a small island in the South Pacific?"

"And why would that island end up being the hidden base for a group who claim they want to help hide Superheroes?" Abby interrupted Vance before he could say anything else.

"That's not the hinky part. Look at this, it's a live satellite feed from over where the island is supposed to be." Once she had everyone around the computer, she refreshed the image. "Now watch." As the image reloaded, there was a brief shimmer where the island should have been. After a few seconds, the image of uninterrupted ocean filled the screen.

Tony leaned closer to see it better. "So, where'd the island go? Was it wiped out in a storm, and what was that flutter in the image?"

Vance had a very bad feeling about what he was seeing. "It's not gone, it's cloaked."

"What country has that kind of technology?"

"It's not done with technology, DiNozzo." Vance already had out his cell phone. "Hydro, it's Frozone. It's time to take a trip."


	21. Chapter 21

**a/n - A short chapter as we transition. Yes, things will be kicked up a few levels. It's a short chapter, partially because I've been working on the entire ending (brace yourselves, it's a wild ride) and partially because it's my birthday and I'm heading out the door. Thanks all for the great reviews.**

The smell of fresh baked cookies permeated the house as Jackie and Sarah took a break. Cold milk and warm cookies kept the kids occupied while the two women retreated to the sunroom with tea and another plate of cookies.

"What was it like before the uprising? Were the Supers owned by the government like they are now? Did they have handlers to control them?" Sarah had heard about enough adventures to realize that she knew nothing about the world her adoptive brother had been born into.

Jackie leaned back in her chair, remembering the days before the uprising. Leon had been Lucius back then and everyone called her by her nickname, Honey. "It was very different, Sarah. People with abilities weren't all lumped together like they are now. There were a few who used their abilities in criminal ways, but they were considered Supervillains and it was always handled by the Superhero community. Many of the Supers had assistants to help handle their day to day needs, but it was never required and the Supers always had control over their own lives and finances. Superheroes were respected and honored back then."

"So what happened?" Sarah set her cup on the table and twisted her fingers together as she talked. "I mean, I know the story about how a group of Superheroes tried to take over a country in Europe and another group of Superheroes stopped them, but why did people's opinions about them change so much?"

"It's very easy to sway public opinion, Sarah. The official version of what happened at Kaunas isn't what really happened. It was not a group of Superheroes trying to take over a country; it was a group of Supervillains trying to kill as many Superheroes as possible in an attempt at world domination. They were stopped, but it wasn't hard to convince people that every Superhero had the potential to turn bad. After that, it just snowballed."

"It's like the kids at my old high school who thought every Muslim was really a terrorist just waiting to attack. I used to get so mad at them and now I see that I'm no better than they were. I believed all the lies about Supers, about my own brother." She started to cry again. "I'm so ashamed."

Jackie reached out and wrapped an arm around the young woman. "It's going to be all right, Sarah. Tim will understand and be thrilled to have his baby sister back."

"When is he coming back, Mrs. Vance?"

---NCIS---

"Where in the hell is he, Beal?" Gibbs leaned closer to the screen, hoping to see a glimpse of his wayward agent. Eric was rushing between computer stations, trying to find an answer.

"I don't know, Gibbs. I don't know how to track him."

Behind them, Sam kept track of the time. "Forty seconds."

Gibbs stared at the LA geek. "What do you mean; you don't know how to track him? Hetty, why hasn't you team learned to track McGee?"

"He's travelling through the computers as a hacker, Jethro. The whole point is that he can't be traced unless he wants to be found." Hetty was starting to panic too, not that she would ever admit it to anyone.

"Fifty seconds."

Callen came up behind Sam, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "Could he have gotten past the firewall?"

Eric shook his head. "That firewall is like Fort Knox." Anything else he was going to add was interrupted as McGee came tumbling out of the computer between he and Hetty.

"Whoa!"

"Timothy?"

"McGee, are you all right?" Gibbs reacted the quickest and prevented him from standing up.

"I'm fine, Boss, let me up." Tim kept trying to stand up and after a brief protest, Gibbs grabbed his arm and hauled him up onto his feet, before marching him to the nearest chair.

Once he had him seated, Gibbs took a good look at his man. McGee was slightly out of breath, but he looked rather pleased with whatever he had done. "Talk to me, McGee, what did you do?"

"I got through the firewall. I was in the upstairs computer."

"So much for Fort Knox." Callen was laughing at Eric's expression as their computer expert sputtered in denial.

"What, how? Are you sure you were upstairs? How can you tell the difference between the computers? You broke through my firewall?" By now everyone was laughing at Eric's whine.

Tim thought about what he had seen and done while in the system. One thing not only caught his attention, it needed to be dealt with. "Who was Jay Newhouse?"

Just the name was enough to prove to Hetty that Tim had accomplished what he claimed. "He was a TAD for a few weeks while Callen was on sick leave. He helped with the move here."

"What did you find?" Even Eric was becoming convinced.

McGee blushed at what he had found. "He partitioned the hard drive on the computer he was using. Umm, you probably want to seriously wipe the smaller section."

"Are you saying that man put pornography on one of my agency computers?" Hetty was at her full strength as she sat straight. "My agency computers?" Behind her, both Callen and Hanna were laughing and giving each other high-fives.

Eric decided to live dangerously and ask. "So, was it any good?" For a short woman, Hetty Lang had a surprisingly long reach.


	22. Chapter 22

**a/n - thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I've been writing and planning and can now see the ending of this story. Brace yourselves, it's going to be a wild ride in typical Emerald fashion.**

"I cannot believe you ate the Director's cookies." Ziva refused to look at DiNozzo as they rode the elevator up to Vance's office.

"What? They were good." Tony gave her a sheepish look as they got off the elevator. She ignored it and went straight into Vance's office.

Vance's assistant ushered them in as soon as he was off the phone with the SecNav. As he expected, the cost of the damaged monitors was considered minor in comparison to the bragging rights of NCIS having their own Super. The Air Force hadn't made the list to receive a Super and even the Army was still waiting for their assigned Super. Of course only a handful of people knew that NCIS actually had two Supers at headquarters.

The two agents standing in front of him seemed rather pleased with themselves. "You've found something?"

"Oh, yeah," Tony got a great deal of pleasure out of being the senior agent at times. This was one of them. "We went through the financial records of Hamilton Productions with a fine toothed comb and found some interesting little tidbits. He set up a non-profit foundation to receive all the money from his residuals when he closed production."

So far, Vance wasn't too impressed. "I know. He did it when he went to work for the CIA's Superhero Research Division."

DiNozzo and David shared a smile before Tony continued. "Actually no, he started the paperwork almost a year before his last movie about Superheroes was released." He paused and waited for it.

"What? That means his connection with the research lab goes back even further than we suspected."

She may be the newest agent on the team, but former Mossad operatives have their limits, and Ziva David had reached hers. "There's more, sir. The non-profit foundation is still in existence and has changed names three times over the years. The last time it was changed, it became the Superhero Rescue Alliance."

"My God…" Few things truly stunned Vance, but this certainly would be at the top of the list. "You're telling me that the Supers who just wanted peace were actually turning themselves over to Hamilton?"

It was actually making DiNozzo rather sick too. "I guess the question should be: do they still not know what they're into or are they now prisoners?"

Ziva corrected him. "They're prisoners even if they do not know it, Tony."

"I'm afraid Ziva's right, DiNozzo. Hamilton's spent the last thirty years researching ways to control Supers. And I've sent a Super to investigate."

---NCIS---

It was 2300 California time before McGee thankfully retreated to his room at the training center. Everyone was pleased with his progress, he had to admit, but right now he just wanted to nurse his aching body in private. A hot shower had helped, but he hadn't dared relax too much least he be introduced to the LA sewer system.

Burrowing through his suitcase for his most comfortable pair of sweats, McGee instead came up with a package. Knowing that Tony had carried the luggage downstairs from Gibbs' place, Tim settled into a chair to see what his friend had packed for him. Inside the package was a DVD along with a note. Setting the DVD down for a moment, he opened the note to see DiNozzo's distinctive scrawled handwriting.

Hey, I thought you'd like to see

first hand what your real dad

was like. Come home Superfied.

Tony

Laughing softly, he set the note aside and looked at the DVD. It was a documentary made about a year before the uprising, back when people were thrilled to know more about Supers. Unknowingly echoing his godfather's actions, he traced his fingers around the image of his father. He'd learned enough about his parents' heroics to know the photo was taken in the aftermath of rescuing the train load of orphans in Central America. The unknown photographer had captured a private moment of his dad soothing a frightened little boy. Hawk stood head and shoulders above even the tallest rescuer around him, the toddler cradled in his powerful hands.

Tim had never been good at guessing the ages of children, but he knew this little boy couldn't be more than three, his face round and innocent as he gazed up at his savior. As illogical as it was to his mind, a wave of jealously flashed through him as he stared at the image. This little boy probably only had faint memories of that day and the man that had rescued him, but it was more knowledge of his father than Tim would ever have.

Almost on autopilot, Tim booted up his laptop and loaded the disc. He propped the laptop on the pillow and sat cross-legged on the bed as the opening credits rolled by. In awe he watched the two hour film on his parent's lives; seeing not only the amazing feats they performed so effortlessly but the love they shared that was so evident every time the camera caught them together.

Gibbs gratefully said goodnight to Hetty and headed for a shower and bed. Keeping up with Hanna and McGee today had been harder than he was willing to admit. Passing by McGee's room, he heard voices and stopped to investigate.

So wrapped up in the story of his parents, Tim didn't register when Gibbs sat behind him on the bed. It wasn't until the ending credits and he gave into his grief over what might have been, that he felt the comforting hand on his shoulder.

After the storm of silent tears passed, Gibbs spoke quietly to him. "Your parents were amazing people; you should be very proud of them." He waited until he had the younger man's attention before continuing, "And they would be very proud of you."

"Would they?" McGee stared at his hands, carefully folded in his lap. "I'll never be at their level, Boss. So many people are counting on me, but I'm not him. He could fly, Boss. He could fly and was strong enough to lift a train engine off the tracks. He could throw balls of fire at the enemy and my mom could levitate and touch people's minds and heal them. What can I do? I can swim through somebody's email and walk through their front door without opening it."

"Your parents had their powers their entire lives, you've been at it for a few days, don't you think you should cut yourself a little slack?" Gibbs stood up and moved the laptop so he could sit in front of McGee. His conversation with Vance the day after McGee's surgery was still fresh in his mind. "Tim, why do you think I had you transferred from Norfolk and added to my team?"

He'd been so proud and thrilled; he'd never really analyzed it. "I guess you needed someone to handle the tech end of it."

Gibbs settled for a gentle tap as a reminder. "There's a whole squad of cybergeeks at headquarters. If that's all I wanted, they would have done. I transferred you because I'd never seen so much potential in someone before. Everything I've asked you to do, you've found a way to do it. I've trained you the only way I know how, the way I've trained every agent I've been given, but you've always taken it a step further. You've taken what I've taught you and put your own twist on it to make it work for you. I know you're going to do the same thing now. You're going to find a way to take these powers of yours and use them to help us solve crimes in ways we haven't even thought of yet."

He waited while McGee processed what he had said. Over the years, he learned to recognize the signs. The troubled look faded into contemplation. Eventually would come the tiny shrug of acceptance. It took longer, but eventually he saw the shoulder move. He stood and ruffled McGee's hair, a move that became more and more second nature as the days went on. "Your parents would be proud of you. Do you know how I know that?" He waited until the green eyes were looking up at him. "Because I'm proud of you, Tim."

A shadow passed in the hallway as Nate quietly reversed and returned to the main room where Hetty was still hard at work. She watched him as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Is your session with Timothy over already?"

Nate shook his head as he sat across from her. Various sketches littered the table as she refined her design for his suit. "Hetty, he doesn't need me, he has Gibbs."


	23. Chapter 23

**a/n - Since the site is weird about updates posted in the afternoon or evening, I'm back to posting first thing in the morning (at least morning to me - hey it's Saturday) I feel like a horse headed for the barn, picking up speed as I get closer to the end. Everybody still with me?**

Leon Vance woke to the sound of giggling coming from his kitchen. Jackie was still asleep next to him, so he snuck out to see what the kids were up to and if the kitchen would survive the encounter. Sarah McGee was carefully supervising as his children prepared a surprise breakfast. Just as quietly, he slipped back to the bedroom to await its arrival.

"Jackie, wake up. Breakfast is on the way." He helped her shift the pillows so they were sitting up before they could hear footsteps in the hall. Jared and Lily entered happily with two trays.

Back in the kitchen, Sarah poured herself a cup of coffee as she started to clean up. Yesterday had been a revelation. She had seen and heard things she never thought possible, but it was true. It was all true and her big brother was one of these amazing people with the powers to save the world. Sarah looked down as her phone vibrated again. It was the eighth phone call this morning from her father and she ignored it like the previous seven. The man had lied to her starting the day she realized her brother was adopted and she was nowhere near ready to listen to his reasons.

---NCIS---

"Catch." Tony tossed a breakfast burrito to Ziva as he strolled in the squad room, looking at what she had up on the plasma. "What have you got?"

"I am looking at images from the Kaunas Uprising. I've been reading about it and many things don't make sense in the official version." She started eating the burrito as she stared at the pictures taken of the crowd that fateful day.

Tony joined her at the plasma. "What doesn't make sense?" The old pictures were black and white and grainy, but they showed the chaos of those days clearly.

"I can find no record of any attempt to identify the leaders of the uprising. Not even in the classified UN files. It makes no sense. Why would they not want to identify who caused such hardships and deaths?" She picked up the remote and changed to the next image in the file.

"Wait a minute, go back." Tony stepped closer to the screen as he asked.

Ziva fumbled with the remote as she found the right button, absently wondering if McGee would be able to control the plasma without the remote when he got back. She'd have to remember to ask him, but first she needed to know what DiNozzo had seen. "What are we looking at?"

He stepped closer and squinted at the image. "Is that Hamilton?

"Oscar Hamilton? He was still a movie maker back then, why would he be there?"

Tony was convinced. "We need to get this image to Abby, have her clean it up and run facial recognition."

---NCIS---

Once Jackie and the kids left for school, Leon poured himself another cup of coffee and joined Sarah at the kitchen island. Yesterday and last night had been about answering Sarah's questions and concerns, but today he hoped to have a few of his own questions answered. In a trait she had apparently picked up from Tim, she beat him to the punch.

"There's weird stuff going on with the Superhero Rescue Alliance."

"Weird, how?" There was something about the young woman that reminded Vance of a skittish colt, so he let her set the pace.

Sarah never raised her eyes from the coffee she found so fascinating. "I did something; I went and talked to them a few days ago about getting Tim away from Agent Gibbs."

"You told them who he was?"

There was a pause before she gave a negative shake of her head. "No, they already knew. It was like they were expecting me because they knew my name the second I walked in the door. They had pictures of him that were more than a year old. It was… it was kind of creepy. They call me back almost every day to see if I'm ready to have Tim taken."

The details about the photo caught his attention, as a year ago the Super's files were highly classified. "How do you know the picture was that old?"

Her blush and giggle convinced Vance that he would be taking her in under his wing. "About a year ago I wrecked the shirt he was wearing in the picture." Glancing up at him, her blush deepened as she gave him the details. "I kinda, sorta accidently spilled grape juice on it."

Vance raised an eyebrow and waited for the rest. By now she was bright red and hiding behind her long hair. "I hate grape juice, but I hated the girlfriend that gave him the shirt even more."

He had to laugh. Sarah McGee was going to be a handful, even in the world of Supers. He was looking forward to introducing her to Edna.

---NCIS---

Tony and Ziva were waiting for Vance when he arrived at NCIS. He waved them into his office as he picked up his messages from his assistant. "What did you find?"

Neither of them said anything, instead Tony handed him the enhanced, close-up photo Abby had printed out for them. Vance didn't need the facial recognition program to recognize the man. "It's a picture of Hamilton when he was younger." The next photo he was handed was less cropped, showing where Hamilton was when the picture was taken. "Kaunas? Hamilton was at Kaunas? We need to see the video from the uprising."

"That's still classified, how are we going to get our hands on it?" Something in Vance's face told Tony that he shouldn't ask too many questions.

Vance didn't elaborate further, but he did let them in on some other vital information. "I spoke to Sarah McGee this morning about her visit to the SRA headquarters. They knew who she was when she walked in and who her brother was. They are being quite forceful about getting their hands on Tim."

It was apparent that this was more worrisome at the moment than Hamilton's appearance at Kaunas. Tony was the first to respond. "Do they know he's in California?"

"I don't know. The facility there is secure, so he and Gibbs should be safe. I've talked to Sarah and she's agreed to stay with my family until we have a better handle on what's going on."

"What about her classes? I can provide an escort if needed, Director."

"Thank you, Ziva. I know she has some exams coming up that she can't miss." Vance rubbed the sides of his face. "I don't have to tell the two of you that this has the potential to end badly, not only for McGee but for everyone."

Tony had been mulling something over ever since Vance had mentioned it. "You said McGee and Gibbs; are you saying that the Boss could be in danger too?"

Vance hated to remind them of McGee's non-human status. "If something happens to his handler, there's nothing to prevent Hamilton from swooping in and grabbing McGee."

"Damn it."

"Yeah."

---NCIS---

The basic hand to hand fighting techniques he'd been taught at FLETC were nothing in comparison to what Hanna was trying to teach him now. For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, McGee climbed back onto his feet hurting as Gibbs words from the night before came back to him.

_You've taken what I've taught you and put your own twist on it to make it work for you. I know you're going to do the same thing now. _

Deciding it was time to honor Gibbs' belief in him, Tim mentally shifted as Hanna again went on the offensive. Ignoring everything Hanna had been pounding into his head all morning, he remained standing upright to face the fast moving arm. Just as Hanna would have connected with him, Tim phased. Suddenly overbalanced, Hanna stumbled and fell as his arm went through Tim's torso.

Gibbs couldn't help but laugh as he helped Hanna off the floor, but it was the look of pride on his face that said it all.


	24. Chapter 24

**a/n - Spent the weekend helping my daughter and her family move. They schlepped boxes, I kept the toddlers busy and out of trouble. I'm not sure who had the harder job. Enjoy the new chapter, and thanks for all the great reviews.**

Callen laid out a range of throwing knives for McGee to try. After Ziva's attempts to teach him, Tim wasn't convinced Callen could do any better. "Knife throwing isn't really my strong suit."

"Maybe not yet, but it will be." When the other man did not look convinced, Callen reminded him of one simple fact. "Hetty says that no matter how good you get at phasing, you'll probably never be able to pull a loaded gun with you through a solid object. You're going to need a weapon that you know will travel with you."

McGee sighed and nodded. With concentration and focus, he could now use his phasing abilities to 'charge' certain items to allow them to travel with him. The change in his pockets would be a lost cause, but with a few minutes to prepare, at least the metal zipper in his pants no longer always meant that he'd arrive at his destination in just his boxers. So far no handgun they'd tested could phase with him, although Hetty was consulting with several developers to create one.

Callen grinned at his reluctant student. While it was true McGee's powers could defend him the majority of the times, they had all agreed he needed an offensive weapon as a back-up. "All of these knives are either a high end resin or ceramic. We know you can get through twelve inches of concrete with either material, so now we just need to teach you what to do with them after you get through the wall. Take one and throw it. I want to see your stance when you throw." Still unconvinced, McGee chose the closest knife on the table and threw it, wincing as it hit flat against the target.

Immediately Callen knew what the problem was. "The person who tried to teach you, they were about a half of a foot shorter than you, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

Instead of telling Tim that he was throwing like someone who need to compensate for being shorter, Callen instead began with the basics. McGee was a scientist at heart and when the physics of the throw was explained, he quickly saw where his problems were. Once the fundamentals were comfortable for him, Callen then explained the differences between the sizes and shapes of the different knives he had on the table. By the end of their session, with a pleased Gibbs watching, McGee was comfortably throwing an eight inch resin knife with a tapered handle.

---NCIS---

The next day it was a phone call from Vance that got Tony to work three hours early. The casual 'DiNozzo, I'm meeting with Hydro, do you want to tag along?' got him out the door in a hurry. Now he was sitting in a conference room, trying to not act like a screaming fanboy. Across the table from him was not only Hydroman, but Psycwave and Nighteagle, two more Supers he had been awed by as a child.

Vance put up an old map of the island on the plasma in the room. The circumference of Orona Island gave the illusion that it was a large island, but it actuality it was only a small ribbon of beach and jungle surrounding a large lagoon. The last attempts to permanently inhabit the island officially ended several years before it disappeared from the records.

Hydroman started the meeting as Vance sat back down. "It was worse than you thought, Froze. It's a mind control prison. If you hadn't gotten the warning through to me when you did, I probably wouldn't have made it out."

"Do we know how they're doing it?" Vance suppressed a shudder as Hydro salted his coffee, all these years he'd never gotten used to that.

"It's some sort of sound weapon, I think. Psyche can tell you more than I can." Turning the briefing over to her, Hydro added a second helping of salt to his coffee. In truth he'd stopped salting his coffee years ago, but he never missed a chance to bug his old buddy.

Before she could say anything, DiNozzo had a question. "Mind control? Does it affect just Supers?"

"Apparently not. I managed to hijack one of the keepers long enough to get my hands on some of the earplugs they are using." Psycwave dropped a pair of the earplugs on the table. "Here, I hung onto a pair for you. Since you didn't want us to tip our hand quite yet, we didn't get too close, but there's an old abandoned building on the northern edge of the island that is hiding the machinery they're using. Whatever they're generating, it covers the entire island."

"It's also about a quarter of a mile above the island." The tall Super with the yellow eyes that Tony only knew as Nighteagle leaned forward on his elbows as he spoke to Vance. "Psyche helped keep my mind grounded when I did a nighttime fly-by. It's pretty strong, even at that altitude. There's something else, Frozone." He shifted in his chair as he explained what he saw. "I think there's some sort of underwater structure hidden in the lagoon. My eyesight isn't as good as it used to be, but there's something there and they've got two dozen mind controlled Supers surrounding whatever it is."

Vance picked up the small devices Psycwave had set on the table and studied them. "We'll have to find a way to replicate these before we attempt a rescue mission. Too bad you couldn't have hung onto a few more pairs."

She rolled her eyes. "I think they would have noticed. I managed the one pair because I implanted the belief that he dropped them in the sand somewhere." After a moment, she changed the subject. "So, how's the boy doing? When does he come back from training?"

Tony had been hoping for an update and perked up at the question, waiting for Vance to report what he had heard.

"Edna tells me that his control is improving every day. He used his powers yesterday to put his trainer flat on the ground."

"Hey, that's great." Nighteagle slapped Hydroman on the back. "I told you he'd be a chip off the old block. His old man would be so proud of him. Do you remember the time Doctor Demon sent his tidal wave machine to destroy that cruise ship?"

As the two old friends bantered back and forth over their memories of the good old days, Vance leaned over to give DiNozzo his assignment. "Keep them company while Psyche and I take these earplugs down to Abby so we can start duplicating them. Don't let them talk your ear off." Enthralled, Tony settled in for what had to be the best assignment Director Vance had ever given him.

---NCIS---

Another day of training had brought additional confidence to McGee. Hetty assured him that eventually his abilities would be such second nature that he wouldn't even have to think about it. Someday his body would make the changes just as fast as he could think of what he needed. In the meantime, concentration was necessary. Concentration was hard work when it went on for eighteen hours straight and he was more than ready for a break.

It had been nearly a week and he was missing his team. He was craving not only their input but their support. His new friends in Los Angeles had been wonderful to him, but his primary team was his family now, they and of course Hetty. Now he was on a break and had been sent to Hetty to see the designs of his very first Supersuit.

As they waited, Gibbs watched his charge. The transition had been hard, but McGee had risen to the challenge as Gibbs knew he would. Now he looked nervous as part of him worried about what image he would be saddled with. "So what is the normal process for choosing a Super's name?"

"I have no idea." McGee looked a little sheepish at his lack of involvement. "I just know that Hetty is designing my entire image, whatever that means." As they walked through the door, Hetty started answering Gibbs' question.

"Traditionally, the parents of a Super watch his powers grow and develop. By the time the Super is ready for his debut, his name is obvious to his family. For Timothy, his mother knew who he would become long before he was born, thanks to her psionic powers."

"You mean…"

Hetty's smile grew. "Yes, Timothy, your mother chose your Super name before she died, also your human name. It was the one thing I insisted your adoptive family keep. Timothy was the human name of your father and his father before him."

It didn't take Superpowers to see how thrilled McGee was to have that one piece of family history attached to his name, even if he didn't say anything. Instead, his attention was drawn to the sketchbook. "Umm, I don't have to wear Spandex, do I?"

"Darling, not even your father wore Spandex. The fabric for your suit has been designed especially for your powers. It will be ready for you after your last training session in the morning. For now, Eric is waiting for you. He has some ideas for you to try before you go back home.

"Home?" The hope in Tim's voice was unmistakable.

As much as she wished to keep her nephew close, she knew his heart was on the other side of the country, and her earlier phone call from Vance proved that he was needed back there very soon. "Tomorrow we return to DC, so finish up with Eric. You have a busy day ahead. Now go, I have much work to do if you are to be properly dressed for your trip home."


	25. Chapter 25

**a/n - Today's the reveal, are you ready? Let me know what you think, and thanks for all the wonderful reviews.**

Tim stood in front of Gibbs and the LA team, waiting for their approval as Hetty explained the features of his new suit. She was obviously pleased with her newest creation. "This suit is made of chameleon cloth, designed to temporarily mimic the appearance of the material it has just passed through. At Timothy's most intangible state, it takes on the appearance of the surrounding environment, allowing him to become almost invisible. If you would, Timothy?"

At his aunt's command, McGee took a deep breath and phased. The resulting gasps told him that the fabric did what it was designed to do.

Gibbs walked around the last location he had seen McGee. As he moved, there was a slight distortion, but if he hadn't been looking for it, he probably would not have noticed. "How long can he stay hidden like this?"

"As long as he can hold his breath." Hanna was also circling McGee. "I guess the daily sessions in the dive tank are working." The workouts in the icy water had been Tim's least favorite parts of the day, but the most vital. He still wasn't to the level of someone who had gone through the months of traditional training a SEAL went through, but the length of time he could hold his breath had more than doubled already. Curious, Hanna reached out and felt for McGee. When he brushed against Tim's arm the distortion increased momentarily before McGee moved away from him. Eventually, he had to breathe and became visible.

"Well done, Timothy, well done." There was no mistaking the pride in Hetty's voice. Gibbs was no less proud, just more silent as he nodded his approval.

Once McGee was done with the demo, he pulled the hood off his face and let it return to his collar. The fabric of his hood was extra thin, allowing it to conform to his face and not restrict his vision. Once back in his collar, it did not add any bulk. Now that he had returned to his normal state, his new suit also returned to its normal appearance. Not quite blue and not quite green, the material shifted color as he moved. As promised, it was not a Spandex suit, but still well tailored to emphasize his shoulders with subtle detailing to give the illusion of feathers. Gibbs recognized the silent homage to Tim's real father in the design and knew that had to please the younger man.

Callen noted the barely visible knives hidden in the sleeves and legs of McGee's hero suit. He also noted the increased confidence in the other man. "You ready to fly back to DC?"

"I'm not flying; I'm taking a more direct route." McGee waited for the rest of the group to understand how he was going to travel.

"You're travelling through the network? Are you ready to go that far?" Dominic hadn't been with Tim and Eric for the last several sessions and had missed their mapping of the national NCIS network, let alone their examination of other federal networks.

Tim had a slightly nervous smile. "We're going to give them quite a show." As the group moved to the large plasma upstairs, Gibbs watched him closely. They had talked about this a great deal, but the first cross-country trip was going to be nerve-wracking. Before the video conference went through, he pulled Tim off to the side.

"Are you sure you know the path? You and Eric have worked out all the bugs?"

"I'm ready; I can do this, Boss." Truthfully, he was terrified but one thing Tim McGee was not going to do was let down the man who so completely believed in him.

Gibbs saw the confidence, but he also saw the underlying fear. "I know you can. Now, as soon as you are successfully there Hetty and I will be on the jet. We should be there about four hours after you arrive. Apparently Hamilton is nosing around, so stay at headquarters until I get there, alright?"

"Four hours? I'll still be getting grilled by Tony about our week here." After a shared smile, the two men joined the rest of them in front of the plasma. Gibbs took his place next to Hetty while Tim sat at one of the computers and prepared.

---NCIS---

"Come on, Ziva, hurry up." Tony reached down and closed the file she was reading. "We've got to get to MTAC if we want a good seat."

Ziva rolled her eyes as she stood and followed him up the stairs. "It's a briefing, not a sideshow, Tony." He was already at the top of the stairs, bouncing slightly on his heels as he waited for her to catch up.

"It's not just any briefing, it's his official introduction as a Super and everybody is going to be there." Sure enough, when they arrived in MTAC the Director was flanked by three people Ziva did not recognize. The woman and one of the men did not strike Ziva as unusual, but the second man had unusual yellow eyes. Her suspicions were confirmed when Tony introduced her to them.

Before she could begin a conversation, the door opened again to admit Abby, Ducky and Palmer. Abby just grinned at them before launching into a technical conversation with the woman and Vance. One of the guards came in, escorting Jackie Vance and Sarah McGee.

Every seat in the gallery of MTAC was full as Vance moved down to stand in front of the main screen. The lead technician announced the link was live and then they were seeing Hetty and Gibbs larger than life. Tony and the rest of the team leaned around Vance to try and capture a glimpse of McGee. On the screen, Hetty Lang began speaking.

"Good day, Leon."

"Is it?" Vance was also looking for a glimpse of their new Super. Hetty's smile grew impossibly wider.

"It is a very good day, Leon. May I introduce the first Superhero to join the ranks since the dark days of the uprising… Shadowhawk."

Hetty turned and held her hands out towards a seemingly empty chair. Everyone stared as Timothy McGee slowly seemed to appear out of thin air, pulling back his hood as his body became solid. In MTAC there was awed silence until DiNozzo stood up with a whoop.

"When did he learn to do that?"

Up until that moment, Leon Vance had been hard pressed to see any resemblance beyond the physical between Tim and his father. Tim was quiet and reserved, timid almost, and often questioned himself. Hawkfire had been strong and confident, just shy of boastful, but always aware of his strengths. Now, seeing the younger man in a suit that so clearly echoed his father's, with a rarely seen confidence in his stance, the resemblance was breathtaking.

"Welcome home, Shadowhawk, and welcome to the family of Supers. How soon can we plan on your arrival?"

"Thank you, Director Vance. As for the time of my arrival…" Tim turned to Hetty and then Gibbs. Hetty nodded immediately, Gibbs' nod was a little slower and more thoughtful as an unspoken conversation passed between them. With one hand he pulled his hood back into place while the other hand reached towards the computer in front of him. After the previous demonstration, no one was surprised when he disappeared from the chair. However, most of them were surprised when only a few seconds later he appeared in an empty chair in MTAC.

"Probie!" Tony stood to greet his partner, but Ziva grabbed his arm and held him back to let Sarah get to him first.

"Tim, Tim, Tim." There was no mistaking the joy on McGee's face when his sister launched herself at him with a thousand questions. The distraction was enough that only Vance looked back at the plasma to see the look of relief on Gibbs' face.

---NCIS---

Decorum was out the window as they gathered for lunch in the conference room. Sarah wanted to know everything about her brother's new abilities. His team wanted to know everything he had done since leaving DC the previous week. The visiting Supers wanted to get to know the only son of the man that had led them for so many years and through so many heroic actions.

It wasn't until it was time to send Ziva to pick up Gibbs and Hetty that the party started to break up. Ducky dragged Palmer back to autopsy to get back to work while Abby left with Sarah and Jackie for a night of Superhero movies. Vance and his old friends retreated to his office to review the video from the uprising he had managed to obtain.

As the rest of them scattered, Tony remained glued to Tim's side. "Wow, McGee, I mean, wow, my probie's all grown up."

They both laughed at that before McGee turned serious. "Tony, thanks, seeing that DVD of my parents really meant a lot to me."

He patted McGee's arm. "You remember that. They were your parents, not the McGee's." When he saw the questioning look, Tony had to admit what he knew. "Vance told Ziva and I about the problems with your adoptive dad. I'm sorry man, that had to be rough."

Tim shrugged, not ready to discuss what Ian McGee had tried to do. "At least I have my sister back in my life. I hear I have you to thank for that too."

"I knew she'd come around after she thought about it. I just made sure that I was around when she was ready." Tony didn't mention how many hours he had devoted to making sure he was around at the right time. It had all been worth it when he saw the reunion.

---NCIS---

Gibbs was still beaming with pride when he and Hetty arrived back at headquarters. Unfortunately, too much information had been gathered to delay any further, and Vance briefed Gibbs and McGee on what had been discovered in their absence. Once they were up to speed, he had a few questions to ask and one more bombshell to drop. "How far into a network can you get? What if it's encrypted?"

He'd spent a great deal of time not only working on these problems, but explaining the results to Eric and then to Gibbs and Hetty. "Most firewalls don't really detect me so I can get in and out pretty easy. Encryption is a little trickier. I still have to break through the layers. It's easier, but I still have the time limitations because of a lack of air. The easiest way would be for me to work through enough of the encryption to figure out the code before I go in."

"But if you had the codes, you could get in and out past the encryptions and the firewall undetected?"

"Why, what's going on?" Gibbs interrupted Vance with a question of his own.

After all his circling around the problem, Vance still didn't know the best way to approach this except straight on. "Kort has been asking for a meeting with McGee. He wants you to break into Hamilton's secure files. He's convinced you'll find something in there we can use."

Gibbs was not amused nor convinced. "First trip out and you want to send him into the lion's den, Leon? Can't we start him off on something a little easier?"

"We need to know what Hamilton is up to. When's the meet set for?"

Vance looked down at his watch. "Two hours."

---NCIS---

Hamilton slid into the booth, waiting for the occupant to look up at him. "Ian McGee?"

"Who wants to know?" Judging from the slurred voice, the drink in front of him was not the first of the night. "Who the hell are you?"

"Someone who knows what you have to do to get control of that boy of yours." When Ian looked up, Hamilton tossed a photo down onto the table. "Get rid of this man and there will be no one to stop you." Without waiting for a response, he left for his next stop, leaving Ian McGee to stare in hatred at the picture of silver hair and bright blue eyes.

---NCIS---

On the other side of town, another McGee waited in a booth. Kort slid into the opposite seat and stole a french fry off his plate with a smirk. "Your keeper lets you eat this junk?"

McGee refused to be angry with the man who had tried to rescue his mother. "Only when he gets to eat it too." Tim tilted his head towards a nearby table where Gibbs and DiNozzo were seated across from Vance and David. Kort let out a huff of laughter and slid a flash drive across the table.

"Here, it's what you need to see his files."

It was even easier than the last time to pull and read the information stored on the small drive and Tim absorbed the encryption code easily. "Let's see just what the man is up to, shall we?"


	26. Chapter 26

**a/n - Thanks for all the great reviews. It's going to be an exciting holiday weekend around here, so stay tuned.**

Whether it was the newly learned control or Gibbs insistence that McGee use the CPAC breathing mask for one more night, Tim slept well that night back in his room at Gibbs' home. Gibbs was, of course, awake at the crack of dawn and had the dozen messages from Mildred erased and the coffee made before Tim was downstairs. Once the two men were sitting down with coffee, they discussed the Hamilton situation.

"We need a better way to keep track of Hamilton's location before you start digging around in his computer." Gibbs didn't attempt to hide his worry. "I understand your trust in Kort, but Hamilton could still be playing him."

"It will be a red flag if our people are noticed watching him." McGee knew his boss well enough to know he already had a plan.

Gibbs didn't disappoint. "Let's call in a favor with Fornell. Are you dressed?"

Tim raised an eyebrow as he made a point to look down at his black slacks and dark striped shirt before Gibbs corrected his earlier question. "I mean dressed dressed." He frowned, "you know what I mean."

The new Super did know what he meant and tugged his shirt open enough to show his suit underneath. After a few phone calls to track down Fornell they left to meet Vance and the team at Fornell's location.

One surveillance van was pretty much like the next, but this one was filled with frustrated FBI agents. Two weeks of monitoring a drug ring that was holed up in a well fortified building was wearing on everybody's nerves, Fornell's included.

"I'm sorry, Jethro, whatever it is, I can't help you until this goes down. Unless you've got some idea about how to get them distracted so we can take them down without loss of life, I'm going to be here for a while." In truth, Fornell felt guilty turning Gibbs down, but his hands were tied. One of the suspects was their only link to the weapons importer they were after and had to be taken alive. They couldn't go in, guns blazing, but there was no other way in.

The NCIS agents exchanged looks. Vance didn't want to attract attention to their investigation of Hamilton by making an official request, but he couldn't assign his agents to an FBI case either. McGee smiled at Gibbs before turning to Fornell. "Do you have a visual of the inside?"

"Yeah…" Fornell didn't know why McGee would be asking, but whatever his reasons, it made the rest of his team very unhappy.

Gibbs shook his head. "You're not going to poke your head in, are you?"

Fornell just stared blankly as he listened to the conversation as Tony asked a question he wasn't expecting. "You can do that?"

"Yes I can but, I've got something better in mind." McGee pointed to a fountain across the park from the back of the building Fornell's suspects were hiding in. "I need an ice spear, Vance."

Vance and Gibbs knew immediately where McGee was going with his plan, DiNozzo and David were still sorting out what they knew so far about McGee's abilities and Fornell was clueless. Instead of explaining, Gibbs sent Fornell back to the surveillance van and told him they would be ready in five minutes. Fornell looked at the five of them before looking back at the solid brick wall that separated them from the suspects. Convinced they were all nuts, he retreated to the van to wait for their signal.

Once they were alone, Ziva voiced her concerns. "If you cannot carry a weapon with you, how do you plan on defending yourself once you are inside?"

"I'm not going inside, Ziva." Tim and Vance walked over to the fountain and conversed privately while Ziva continued to fret. Tony knew that the two Supers had a plan and was anxiously waiting to see what it was. As they watched, Vance created a large spear from one of the sprays of water, smoothing and building it until it was the length and weight McGee was satisfied with.

Vance handed it over and stepped back. "It's as frozen solid as I can make it."

Several days earlier, Gibbs had watched McGee use his powers to charge the atoms in various items to allow him to carry them as he travelled. On a lark, he had attempted to throw a knife through a cinderblock wall rather than carry it. The success had been a highlight of his training. Vance had since read the detailed reports of McGee's training, but DiNozzo and David had no idea what was about to happen.

The only visible change with the ice in McGee's hand was that it seemed to glisten in the light more and more as he stared at it. After a few moments, he started walking towards the brick wall, increasing his speed until he was running. Gibbs gave a warning over the borrowed headset right before McGee threw the ice as if it were a javelin. Instead of bouncing off the bricks, or shattering as most people would expect, the frozen spear slid effortlessly through the wall and imbedded itself on an inside wall.

Over the headsets they could hear the chaos as the suspects ran out of their fortress, screaming, and into the arms of the waiting FBI agents.

"That was so cool, Probie."

"Very impressive, McGee."

Vance just slapped him on the back as he and Gibbs returned to the front of the building to discuss the Hamilton surveillance with Fornell, now that their part of the deal had been met.

Tony still wasn't calming down as he ran his hands over the unblemished brick. "Wow, I saw it and I still can't believe it. You should be getting credit for the bust and not Fornell's people."

"Tony is correct, McGee."

"I don't need the credit, guys." Tony was about to lecture him on being too modest for a Superhero when Tim explained his reasoning. "Besides, I'd much rather wait and see exactly how they are going to explain this in their report."

Tony started laughing. "You've got a point there, McGee."

---NCIS---

It took longer for Fornell to calm down than it did for the ice spear to melt. Standing in front of the melting ice, he glared at Gibbs. "This is all your fault."

"My fault, why is it my fault?" Try as he might, Gibbs couldn't quite keep a straight face and his smirk was not helping Fornell's mood.

Fornell pointed his finger at Gibbs before marching back out into the alley. "Your people think you're magic and now you've gotten them doing it."

"Magic?"

"Well, what else would you call it? You sure has hell can't tell me that McGee's some sort of Superhero."

Whatever answer Gibbs would have given Fornell was lost in the confusion as Ian McGee stepped out with a hostage.

Other than Fornell, the FBI agents had left with the prisoners. Under many conditions the six of them would have had no problem taking out one man, but caught in a narrow alleyway, none of them were in position to do so without risk to the civilian hostage. Guns drawn, they waited to see what he would do. Gibbs and Fornell were the closest to him, with McGee about ten feet behind them. The rest of them were another fifty feet behind McGee.

Still drunk from the night before, Ian stared at his son. The fast track to promotions he had been promised for raising the boy had been counteracted by his own temper and poor choices. Hiding behind a woman he'd grabbed out of a taxi, he pointed a gun at her head. "Why didn't you die, Timmy? You should have done what you were told and just died."

Tim held his hands out to his sides as he slowly eased closer to his father. Gibbs turned slightly and watched out of the corner of his eye. He could see the telltale shimmer of the beginnings of a phase. In theory, a bullet would pass right through him when he was totally phased, but it was a theory Gibbs did not want to see him test.

"Dad, I'm the one you want. Why don't you let her go and we'll settle this between just the two of us?" By now Tim was only a few feet behind Gibbs. Fornell had managed to edge off slightly to the side, but the hysterical hostage was moving too much for him to risk a shot.

The elder McGee stared at his son, and then shook his head. "I thought so, but that old man was right. I have to get rid of your handler first." Several things happened almost simultaneously. As Ian McGee moved to fire at Gibbs, Tim phased completely and dove through Gibbs before becoming solid in time to take the bullet as it was fired. Shocked by the image of his son passing through Gibbs, Ian's grip loosened on his hostage and she escaped. As soon as she was free Fornell fired his own weapon, dropping Ian instantly as the rest of the NCIS agents ran to them.

"McGee? God, no!" Gibbs grabbed Tim as he staggered, clutching at his chest. He tried to ease Tim onto the ground, but McGee's knees refused to buckle. "Tim, why? You're the important one."

"I couldn't let him hurt you." Tim gave a weak cough as he tried to smile. "Besides, I'm not done yet." Frowning in concentration, he managed to phase one more time as he stumbled backwards. For a split second the bullet was suspended in the air before it fell to the ground. "I did it…" Tim managed to take a few shaky breaths as his body returned again to its solid form before he collapsed.

Fornell watched in shock as Gibbs and DiNozzo eased McGee to the ground. Vance was already tearing the bloody shirt off McGee, revealing an oddly colored shirt underneath it, but the skin visible through the bullet hole was intact. "What the hell is going on?" He would have moved closer, but the woman Ian McGee had been holding hostage was clinging to him.

Ziva quickly checked the body of Ian McGee before returning to her team. She pulled off her coat and rolled it up to slide under McGee's head. "If the wound is gone, does that mean he is all right?"

Vance wished it could be that simple. "There's still massive blood loss and trauma, and that is assuming that phasing repaired all the internal damage."

"What do we do?" DiNozzo had pulled out his phone on instinct, but didn't know who to call. "I mean, can we take him to a hospital? How do we explain it?"

Years as a Super gave Vance many advantages, one of which was experience. "No, we take him back to headquarters. Tony, call Hetty and tell her what happened. She'll know what to do. Ziva, bring the car as close as you can without compromising the crime scene. Move it people!" Thankful that Edna's first decision as a Supersuit designer was to get rid of the hated jumpsuits that tradition had dictated for so many years, he watched as Gibbs pulled the top of McGee's Supersuit up to better see where the bullet had hit. A large purple bruise was forming where the entrance wound had been, visible only after Gibbs had wiped away the blood with the remnants of McGee's outer shirt.

Vance next turned his attention to Fornell, who was still staring at McGee. "Fornell? Fornell? TOBIAS?" The FBI agent looked up at him, but obviously still seeing what had just happened. There was no way they could leave him in charge of the crime scene.

Ziva arrived with the sedan and pulled it in as close as she dared. Even in this run-down part of town, the shooting was starting to attract attention. With strength born from adrenaline rather than a genetic mutation Gibbs lifted Tim and carried him to the car.

Regretting the necessary action, Vance held his hand out and stopped Tony and Ziva from getting in the car. Tony was horrified, but Ziva understood. "Someone needs to secure the scene." As much as she wanted to stay with McGee, she knew it was their job to deal with the shooting, but she felt it didn't need both of them. "Director, I can stay with Fornell. Please, let Tony help Gibbs."

One last look at DiNozzo and Vance knew she was right. "I'll get another team here as soon as I can. Then we'll see you and Fornell back at headquarters." It appeared that the select group that knew the truth about McGee was going to increase by one. Decisions made and orders given, Vance quickly drove them back, Gibbs in the backseat with a still unconscious McGee and Tony riding shotgun.


	27. Chapter 27

**a/n - Happy Thanksgiving everyone and thank you for your wonderful comments. As for today's chapter, I will mix my children's movies for a moment and quote Rhino the hampster "Let it begin, let it begin!!" See everyone one tomorrow.**

The squeal of tires announced their arrival as Vance pulled in next to the coroner's van. Ducky, Jimmy and Hetty were waiting for them and quickly had McGee out and onto a stretcher. Jimmy noticed the blood covering Gibbs and caught his arm. "Agent Gibbs, are you injured?"

"No, it's all McGee's blood." Gibbs pulled free of Palmer and followed the stretcher. When they reached autopsy it was filled with medical equipment he'd never seen before and Abby was setting more of it up. Jimmy was still at his heels and answered the unasked question.

"While you and Agent McGee were in California, Director Vance and Dr. Mallard set this up. We can even perform surgery on him if we have to." Not waiting for a response, Jimmy returned to Ducky's side to assist him. Gibbs started to follow, but this time it was Tony that caught his arm.

"Boss, Jackie Vance is on her way here with Sarah. Don't you think you should get cleaned up before they get here?" When Gibbs looked down for the first time at his blood stained clothes, Tony steered him to a sink away from where they were working on McGee to wash up. As soon as Gibbs was stripping off his shirt Tony dashed upstairs to grab a shirt out of his desk drawer.

Tony arrived back in autopsy the same time Jackie and Sarah rushed in, making him believe the Director's wife had taken driving lessons from Ziva. Sarah froze when she saw Gibbs still washing the blood off. Tony dropped the clean shirt on the counter next to Gibbs as he closed in on Sarah. "He's alive, Sarah, his powers kept him alive." Again, Tony found his shoulder soaking through with her tears as she clung to him in relief.

Vance stayed at Ducky's side as he and Abby ran a scan on McGee, moving to a computer as soon as the results were in. Once he had his answers from the computer he was on the phone. Hetty didn't look up from Tim's face as she stroked his hair back, humming under her breath. Jimmy started to set up IV poles as the rest of Tim's friends and Sarah waited for someone to tell them something. Eventually Vance joined them to let them know what was happening. "The remaining internal damage is minimal, which is good, but the blood loss was critical. He needs a transfusion to stay alive."

Tony looked around at the group. "One of us has got to be the right blood type, right?"

"It's more complicated than that." Gibbs remembered one of the many lessons he had learned while in Los Angeles. "It has got to be blood from another Super, normal human blood would weaken him even more." As he spoke, the three Supers already helping them arrived in autopsy.

"Have you located a donor?" Jackie knew what her husband had been doing on the phone.

Vance gave a tight smile. "The closest compatible donor is in Baltimore. He's on his way."

We're at the start of homecoming traffic." DiNozzo glanced at his watch as he calculated travel time. "Please tell me he can teleport or fly or something."

"He's running." Skeptical looks greeted his words. "Don't worry, Speedy can run faster than David can drive." Twenty minutes later a wind-blown man with blonde hair arrived to prove Vance's point. An hour after the start of the transfusion McGee was awake and insisting he was fine before Ducky pulled rank and sedated him.

Once her nephew was in a restful sleep under his handler's watchful eye, Hetty left to introduce herself to Sarah, only to find herself face to face with Fornell and Ziva as they escorted the body of Ian McGee into autopsy.

Sarah didn't notice anything else as she stepped closer to the body bag as it was transferred to a table. "Is that my father?" Not waiting for an answer, she looked to Vance. "Is this my fault? He kept calling me, but I was so mad, I wouldn't talk to him."

Both Leon and Jackie moved to console her, but Hetty was at Sarah's side first. "No, no, my dear. There was nothing you could have done to stop him, his anger and hatred had been building for too long. We're just thankful you weren't hurt also. It would have destroyed Timothy if you'd been caught in your father's rage."

"You're Hetty, aren't you? You're Tim's aunt."

"Yes I am." Hetty hugged her and started to lead her over to her brother's bedside. "That makes me your aunt now, too."

Sarah allowed herself to be led until she reached the foot of Tim's bed. Then she looked up at Ziva and Fornell. "Did one of you shoot my father?"

The dynamics of the situation still had Fornell in shock and he nodded numbly. He was expecting more tears, more anger or quite possibly a slap across the face. The thank you she whispered wasn't even on his radar.

---NCIS---

When Hydro whispered "we've got a problem" in Vance's ear he almost laughed, but he did not want to disturb McGee or the team sleeping around his bed. Instead he quietly slipped out and followed the other Super back upstairs. In Vance's office, Nighteagle and Psycwave were staring at the plasma screen.

"You've found something in the Kaunas footage?"

Nighteagle's normally yellow eyes were bloodshot, giving them an orange tint. "We've been through almost one hundred hours of film and I think you'd better see the highlights." Vance sat down as Psyche keyed up the montage they had assembled. Carefully he watched images of a young Hamilton at every site of problems during the uprising. He leaned forward and watched closely as Hamilton casually waved his hand and a garbage can flew up and hit a soldier on the back of the head. The known Supers nearby were immediately blamed, the last part of that footage was of them being arrested. The next clip showed Hamilton sitting at an outdoor café. The enlargement was slightly fuzzy, but Hamilton pointed a finger, the act barely noticeable behind his large beer stein, and a car flipped over just as a young Super was walking past it. The crowd immediately began throwing rocks, which were bounced back at them when the Superhero instinctively put up a force field to protect herself.

Clip after clip showed different versions of the same events as Hamilton created pockets of discord and unrest all aimed at the Supers who believed they had been secretly called in to help save the residents of Kaunas.

Sickened, Vance sat back and rubbed his mouth as the knowledge settled. "Hamilton's a Super and he's managed to stay under the radar all these years."

"But what is he up to?" Nighteagle was confused, a sensation he hated.

"I don't know." Vance had a sneaking suspicion that things were going to get worse before they get better. "But it looks like we're going to need Shadowhawk to dig through his computer soon. We need answers."

---NCIS---

"How is he?" In deference to the sleeping agents that surrounded the bed, Fornell's voice was soft as he came up behind Gibbs and handed him a cup of coffee. He stared at McGee's bare chest, where the rapidly fading bruise was the only indication that anything at all had happened to the young man that day.

Gibbs gratefully drank some of the coffee before answering. "Believe it or not, Ducky says he should mobile by morning, and completely recovered in a few days.

"Unbelievable," Fornell still seemed in awe. "I'm standing here looking at him and I still can't believe it. All this time and your quiet geek was actually a Superhero. How long ago did you find out?"

"The day before he was reactivated." Gibbs set his cup on the bedside table without ever looking away from McGee. "He didn't even know about it much before that. Ian McGee and his wife were hired to raise him and to make sure he didn't find out. Has she been notified?" When Fornell didn't say anything, Gibbs risked a quick glance up at him. The FBI agent was jerking his head towards the door in an obvious attempt to speak to him out of the young Super's earshot. Observing this, Jimmy came and sat with McGee, watching him closely.

As Fornell listened in, Gibbs leaned over Jimmy and gave him instructions. "Watch him; make sure he doesn't fall." When Palmer nodded without looking up, Gibbs clapped him on the back and followed Fornell out of the room, picking up his coffee on the way.

Out in the corridor, Fornell had to ask his first question. "Why are you worried about him falling out of bed?"

"Not out of bed, through the bed." Oh, how Gibbs enjoyed rendering his old friend speechless.

Stunned, Fornell didn't ask anything else until they were in the stopped elevator, between floors. "Tell me about Hamilton."

"Tim's the youngest surviving functional Superhero, did you know that?"

Fornell actually hadn't thought about it until Gibbs said it, but he quickly realized that all the other Supers being brought into agencies were middle age or older. What he didn't know was how it was connected to Hamilton, but he responded to Gibbs' question first. "No, I didn't. Did they stop being born?"

"They stopped surviving." Now that he had Fornell's attention, he told him the rest. "Hamilton or one of his team is always around when the kids die and it looks like he may have been involved somehow in the uprising. We need his movements tracked while we investigate."

As a father, nothing angered Tobias Fornell more than someone who would harm a child and he quickly agreed to monitor Hamilton's movements. After that, he waited for Gibbs to repeat his earlier question. Gibbs didn't disappoint.

"What happened when Mrs. McGee was notified of her husband's death?"

"She asked…" Fornell puffed out his cheeks with a sharp exhale. Saying the words was harder than he'd expected. "She asked if he managed to kill the kid before he died."

"Bitch."

"Yeah."

---NCIS---

It took forty-eight hours to put the plan into motion; not because of McGee's injury, but to get permission from the SecNav. After reviewing the tapes of Hamilton's actions to escalate the uprising and all the other evidence gathered against him so far, the covert raid on Hamilton's computer was authorized. The fact that the first possibly murdered child was the daughter of a Marine Corps general gave NCIS jurisdiction.

Trent Kort arrived as they waited, worried about McGee. Once he was convinced the son of his first love was recovering, he answered all of his questions about Hamilton's computer system and the room it was stored in. When the call came in from Fornell that Hamilton had just boarded a flight to Detroit, the team immediately set up in MTAC.

The now rogue CIA agent watched in amusement as the team fussed over McGee before he sat down at one of the computer terminals. He wasn't sure why McGee bothered to wear his Supersuit to sit at a computer, or why he was doing deep breathing exercises in preparation of hacking into Hamilton's computer. A few seconds later he got his answers as McGee physically dove into the computer.

As Tony counted off the time he watched Kort out of the corner of his eye. Seeing him stunned was an added perk of having a Super on the team and he was definitely enjoying that particular perk. The enjoyment vanished as they hit one minute and McGee still hadn't reappeared. At one minute ten, they were starting to panic. At one minute fifteen McGee tumbled back into MTAC wearing a panicked expression of his own.

"Easy, McGee, easy. Just breathe for a minute." Gibbs kept trying to push the oxygen mask back on Tim's face as he was trying to talk. Ducky and Hetty were both trying to check him over while Vance, Kort and the rest of the team watched. "The kids are dead, there's no reason to kill yourself over this, just give yourself a minute to recover."

"No, they're not." McGee grabbed Gibbs wrist to get his attention and to keep the mask off his face so he could speak. "Hamilton didn't kill those kids, he kidnapped them."

"What?" Gibbs horrified expression was mirrored throughout the room.

McGee looked just as horrified. "The children are alive. He's trying to raise himself an army of Supers under his personal control. We've got to save them, Boss, we've got to."


	28. Chapter 28

**a/n- I'm doing some final tweeking, but the story is done. 30 chapters in all, so two more after this one. Enjoy.**

It was a somber group that met that afternoon in the conference room. Speedster had joined the group along with Lazerview, Hypershock and Macroburst. The three Supers that had snuck onto to the island earlier were sketching out a map of what they had seen while the rest of the group sorted out the plan of attack.

Fornell arrived with news that put the plans into overdrive. "I just heard from my guy in Detroit and Hamilton left an hour ago. They've tracked him; he bought a one way ticket to Hawaii."

"He's on his way to the island, that's the only explanation." Vance looked around the table. "Whatever he's planning, it looks like it's about to start."

"How soon can we launch an attack?" Nighteagle was more than ready to move out, but Tim had a different focus for their efforts.

"I'm more worried about the rescue. He may be controlling their minds, but those are still innocent hostages, especially the ones he kidnapped."

"Wait a minute, what hostages and who was kidnapped? What does this have to do with the children that were killed?" Fornell desperately tried to keep up with the conversation.

Kort had been watching and was secretly amused by Fornell's reactions, but Gibbs took pity on him. "McGee found out that the children weren't killed. Hamilton faked all the deaths and kidnapped them."

"What? Why? When were you going to inform me? Kidnappings are under the FBI's jurisdiction." Fornell didn't want to take over the case, but he hoped that if he forced the issue enough, he'd be included.

After exchanging looks with Gibbs, Vance spent a few minutes bringing Fornell up to speed about Hamilton, the island, the mind-controlled Supers, and the children he was holding. By the time he was done, Fornell was ashen faced.

"All those civilians and the Supers that were killed during the uprising, he was responsible for all of it, wasn't he? Do you honestly think you can stop him?"

"If we don't, then they all died in vain, including my parents." McGee was still slightly pale from the last few days, but he was calm as he spoke to Fornell on behalf of the Superheroes standing with him. "This may be a kidnapping case, but the victims were all Supers. That makes it our jurisdiction."

Fornell pointed at Kort. "Are you forgetting that Hamilton's right hand man is sitting across the table from us?"

McGee started to say something, but Gibbs interrupted him, knowing that Fornell would accept his words at face value quicker than he would McGee's. "Who do you think got us the information we needed?"

He waited a minute, but Fornell could see that he was in over his head.

"How can I help?"

"We need someone to coordinate the raid on the research facility at the same time that we invade the island and it needs to be an agency not associated with Supers or with NCIS."

Even as Fornell was agreeing to Vance's request, he was thinking of how he could justify the raid. "Are we going in without a warrant?"

Vance thought about it for a moment. He knew a judge that would go along with his plan. "You'll have a warrant. A tip was given that someone is using the labs at the research facility for illegal drug manufacturing."

"That'll work. What exactly are we looking for there while we're at it?"

"Every drug they're researching, whatever paperwork and computer files you can get your hands on." Vance looked over at McGee who gave more details to Fornell.

"Seize every computer tower, external hard drive, flash drive, CD, heck if you find an old floppy disk, grab it. I'll go through them all when we get back. He's been planning this since before the uprising, so we want the obsolete stuff too."

While McGee was rattling off his shopping list for Fornell, Kort was writing down a list of passcodes and authorization numbers that would make the raid on the lab easier. Fornell's eyes got bigger when Kort handed it to him. His list would make it possible for Fornell's team to reach the inner sanctum without sounding an alarm.

Fornell left to start quietly preparing for the raid and McGee turned to Hetty, who had been unusually quiet so far. He knew what she was thinking, and decided to make it easier for her. "We need the LA team, but I don't think they should know about the possibility that Hanna's son is alive until we have more proof."

"Agreed." Hetty looked sad. "It would be devastating if we tell him and then discover some of the children were used for experimentation. Did nothing in Hamilton's computer give any indication of what he has been doing?"

"Nothing." McGee confirmed what he had told them earlier. "Whatever he is doing on the island, he's keeping it separate from his files at the CIA. He's got details of the acquisition, but nothing past the day he takes the kids. All we've been able to determine is that the youngest child he has is now almost seven months old and the oldest one is an adult, only about two years younger than I am. We have no way to know what they've been taught or what they believe. They could think that Hamilton is their savior and the rest of the world is out to kill them. We're just going to have to wing it when we get there."

As they worked through different scenarios, a basic plan emerged. Tony, Ziva, Hypershock, Macroburst and Dominic from the LA team would attempt to disrupt the cloaking of the island and the sound wave generator that was controlling the Supers on the surface of the island. Vance, Hanna, Psycwave, Speedster and Nighteagle would rescue the Supers on the island, whether or not the first team was successful in eliminating the mind control weapon.

The last team would make a run at the heart of the complex, the underwater structure Nighteagle saw on his earlier fly-by. Gibbs and McGee would take Callen and Kensi from the Los Angeles team along with Kort, Hydroman and Lazerview. With any luck they would not only uncover what Hamilton had planned, but rescue the kidnapped children as well. Teams one and two would join up with them as they completed their portions of the mission.

A team of specialists would remain onboard the ship, outside the furthest range of scanners on the island. Hetty's experience with Supers of various powers in ranging conditions would be needed as would Nate Getz's training as a psychologist. Ducky and Jimmy would be there, hopefully unneeded, for emergency medical care. Eric and Abby would be McGee's back up for the computer system.

A cargo plane was waiting for them at Bolling Air Force Base, right across the river with a departure time of 2200. After a brief refueling stop in California while they picked up the team from Los Angeles, they would arrive in Hawaii around 0300 local time. Hydroman had an old friend with a modified fishing boat waiting for them at a small marina outside of Honolulu.

It seemed almost anticlimactic to leave the tarmac in DC that night. Even though it had been many years for most of the Supers, it was easy for them to fall back into the pattern of missions and rescues as they flew cross-country. Curiosity was a natural state for most of the crew at NCIS, resulting in a captive audience gleefully listening to stories about the old days.

Gibbs split his attention between the wild stories being bantered around the back of the plane and the quiet man sitting alone near the front. McGee was reviewing the all the files they had managed to gather. When he finished the last file in the stack and immediately started back on the first one, Gibbs moved up to sit next to him. "What are you looking for?"

Tim was absently chewing on his bottom lip as he thought about how to explain it. "The Rescue Alliance had a definite agenda about which Supers they wanted to latch onto by helping." His accent on helping told what he thought of their help even before they knew it was a front for Hamilton.

"You were on the top of their list." Gibbs didn't add how they would have gotten him if Sarah had not come to her senses. "Do you think they are interested in specific powers to control?"

"That would have been the logical assumption," Tim squared his shoulders and deliberately stopped gnawing at his lip. "But they were after me even before I knew what my powers were. The only other connection is his obsession with my mother."

There was going to be no easy answer until they knew exactly what Hamilton's plan was. "Like you said, we're going to have to wing it."

"Yeah." McGee was quiet for a few minutes before he turned back to Gibbs. "Boss, thanks, I know this isn't exactly in a handler's job description."

Gibbs thought back at the one fear Jackie Vance lived with every day, and her pained look as she watched them load onto the plane. "It is in mine, McGee. Now, are you going to get any sleep on this flight?"

"What do you think?"

---NCIS---

They barely had a glimpse of white sandy beaches before they were onboard what looked like an old fishing boat. That was until you looked closer. Beneath the sun bleached deck was a gleaming 1200HP supercharged engine that could outrun anything in the South Pacific. Hidden under the seats in the cabin were state of the art radar, sonar and other scanners most of them had never seen before.

Hydro made the introductions. "This is Gus, my surface contact since I was a kid." It was crowded with everyone onboard, but Gus shook hands with everyone he could reach.

"I've been studying their defenses every since Hydro and the gang made their recon. Because of the currents, their weakest side is on the northeast. I've been fishing near there every morning at sunrise, so they're used to my being around now." Gus worked as he spoke and had the boat pulling away from the dock.

Gibbs had a surprised look on his face when he heard the engine fire up. He had lifted the hatch on the engine compartment and seen the massive engine, but it currently sounded like a very old, rough running diesel engine. Gus grinned even wider as he explained.

"I'm running dual mufflers. One set to make the boat sound like it looks, and a second set for when speed is more important than stealth."

Ziva and Abby were more interested in the dolphins following alongside them. Hydro made a high pitched sound and they answered back before he introduced them. "Ladies, this is my pod. They're going to get all of you from the boat to the island without getting noticed." Ziva was thrilled. Abby was disappointed to be part of the support team that would remain on the boat.

Tony was covertly watching Kort, much to the other man's amusement, when Ziva latched onto his arm. He'd never seen the expression of awe on her face before. "Tony, we are going to be taken to the island by dolphin. They talk to Hydro."

"Really? Cool." Silently, DiNozzo added that to the ever growing list of reasons it was neat to have a Superhero on the team.

Once the boat reached its target, Vance and Abby handed out the earplugs they had recreated. Earplugs securely in place, the humans and Supers went off the back of the boat in pairs and met up with their living transports. Amused at the seasick Super, Gus sent Shadowhawk and Gibbs first. From behind a cabinet filled with old looking life jackets, he pulled out small breathers for them to use as they were pulled along underwater.

---NCIS---

It was still more than an hour before sunrise when the last of the teams made it to shore. They met up in a narrow strip of jungle that ran almost right into the ocean for a last minute radio check and review of the plans. DiNozzo's team would leave the sheltered area first. The rest of them would be in position to move in an hour, or when the mind control device was shut down, whichever came first. Everyone had their assigned targets and goals, but with no images of the layout or confirmed headcount of unfriendlies, the plan was fluid and flexible. As one of the Supers quipped, "get in, do it fast, and don't die."

In his Supersuit and fully phased, McGee was the obvious choice to scope out the path to the building they believed containing the mechanical portion of the cloaking and sound weapons. He was back within fifteen minutes and quickly diagramed on the sand what he had seen. Kort immediately recognized a common security grid pattern used by the CIA and was able to fill in the blanks as to the most likely places they would find more guards.

DiNozzo latched onto Kort's arm. "You told me to watch out for McGee until his powers were fully developed. Now I'm telling you, you had better have their backs out there." Kort had his usual smirk, but he nodded at DiNozzo. Tony wasn't totally convinced, but it was time to move out.

Using the confirmed information McGee had gathered and the estimates from Kort, they were able to get within view of the target building without raising an alarm. Ziva popped up for a quick look in the window. "Approximately ten people, two next to the device, the rest scattered around the room."

"Damn, how are we going to take them all out without any of them sounding an alarm?" Dominic looked to the team leader for an answer.

His first reaction was that he didn't have a clue, but Tony knew that with Supers on the team, they needed to think outside the box. "Guys, what can you do?"

Macroburst looked at Hypershock. "You first?"

Hypershock gave an affirmative nod and held out his hands. "You ready?" When he got a nod back he looked back at DiNozzo. Preparing for anything, Tony rested his hand on the grip of his SIG and nodded back. They watched as his hands began to vibrate just before the ground started to shake. At the peak of the localized earthquake Macroburst threw his own hands up and the wind started. Thrown off-balance by the earthquake, the occupants of the small building were immediately blown against the back wall. Agents and Supers rushed them before they could untangle themselves. Zip tie handcuffs on their wrists and duct tape over their mouths made short work of confining the new prisoners as Ziva relieved them of their communication devices and earplugs. Once their earplugs were removed, the prisoners were docile and well behaved as they sat in a row.

Tony stared at the machinery in the center of the room. "Dominic, I hope you can figure that out, and fast."

Dominic slowly walked around the large device. At eight feet tall by at least six feet wide and covered with gauges and flashing lights, it was like nothing he'd ever seen before. "Umm, how much time do I have?"

"Ziva, help him set up secure communications. Maybe Eric and Abby can help him." Tony knew how important this step of the operation was to the success of the entire plan. Once Ziva and Dominic had a scrambled and masked link with the boat set up, he returned to the windows to keep watch with the Supers.


	29. Chapter 29

**a/n - Your comments and reviews have made my day, thanks. Umm, you might want to grab some tissues before you start this chapter.**

Vance and Nighteagle crouched down and watched for activity as sunrise grew closer. Hanna joined them as they saw lights flicker on in one of the cottages that lined the lagoon. "What are we going to do if Dom can't figure out how to shut it down? Hamilton could tell those Supers that we have to be killed."

It was Nighteagle that answered Hanna. "He's got to figure it out, because I am not attacking a fellow Super. Especially not one that's here because he's trying to live a normal life."

Vance was also determined to keep the innocents safe. "There's still time." Below them, the light went back out and the cottages were once again dark. Static came over the earplug as a message came through from Dominic.

_~We've discovered that this machinery is basically a big amplifier for both the cloaking and mind control signal. We can take it offline, but somewhere something or someone is still transmitting.~_

"Without the amplifier, how big is the affected area?"

_~No way to know.~_

"Can you take it out without setting off any alarms?"

_~I believe so, sir.~_

"All right, wait for my signal. Gibbs, did you copy that?"

_~Affirmative.~_

"You and your team get in position. The sun's going to be up soon."

---NCIS---

Gibbs turned to McGee, "you ready?" The young Super looked nervous.

"I'm ready, Boss. Hydro and I will go down, find what's underwater, and secure a way in for the rest of you." After a quick glance at Hydroman, he moved inland with the water-breathing Superhero.

Gibbs watched until they were out of sight and then settled down to wait with the rest of his team.

In the subtle light of the coming dawn Tim picked his way through the jungle. Now that he was a Super he was determined not to fall on his face. Once they were at the edge of the lagoon, Hydro created an air pocket that allowed McGee to stay underwater as they explored. Location picked, McGee phased and slipped into the hidden facility to wait. Pressed against the wall he'd come through, he was virtually impossible to see as he examined the room. Systematically, he started searching, mapping out the facility in his head as he went. Outside, deep in the lagoon, Hydro sunk down to hide in the coral and water plants as he waited for the signal.

---NCIS---

It was tempting to start the raid while the majority of the island's occupants were still asleep, but they needed the chaos from eliminating the mind control to make their plan work. That, of course, depended on the destruction of the machine actually having an impact. When the first few Supers wandered out of the cottages and headed for the beach, Vance gave the signal. Inside the building, Tony and Dominic were waiting.

"You're sure this is going to work, right?" Tony was kneeling next to the opened maintenance hatch on the left side of the machine, tools in hand. Dominic mirrored him at the opposite side.

The rookie from Los Angeles was more nervous than he was willing to admit. "If we're right about the wiring, this should work and if we manage to cut both sets of wires at the same exact time then we shouldn't set off any alarm. I think."

"You think? Oh, that's great." The signal from Vance came through before DiNozzo could work up to a full rant, much to the relief of the rest of the group. Instead, he started a countdown. When he hit zero, both he and Dominic sliced through their last remaining wires. Everybody winced and waited. The flashing lights faded and turned off, but there was no audible alarm. Quietly, they waited for the all clear from Vance, as they watched their bound and gagged prisoners look around in a daze.

---NCIS---

Out on the beach, Vance and his team watched the Supers in view stumble and then shake their heads just seconds after Ziva had signaled that the wires were cut. As the most recognizable of the Superheroes in the group, Nighteagle stepped out of hiding and waited to be noticed. When one of the Supers noticed him, he met him halfway on the beach.

"Nightie, is that you?"

"Hey, Bob, what's happening?" Nighteagle waited to see what he would remember.

The big man continued to rub his forehead. "I'm not sure. You tell me."

He was pretty sure his old friend was shaking off the effects of the mind control, but he wanted to be sure. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Bob focused on the memories that had seemed like a dream until a few moments earlier. "We decided to take the kids and leave rather than give up our rights. There was a group that was helping Supers get away…" Nighteagle could see the realization when it hit. "They weren't helping us, were they?"

By now, Vance and the other two Supers joined them. Bob grinned at the sight of Vance and gave him a hearty slap on the back. "Frozone, it's been a long time."

Vance coughed as he straightened back up. "Yeah, it hurt back then too."

Bob didn't need the entire background of what was happening, just a brief recap and he was ready to join the fight. By the time DiNozzo's team had the machinery dismantled enough that it could not be quickly repaired, the freed Supers had all of their former guards quietly rounded up and secured. Despite their desire to be left alone to have peaceful lives, all the Supers held on the surface of the island were more than willing to guard against invasion and to make sure no one attempted to restart the mind control and cloaking machinery. Hanna was ordered to stay with them and to watch for unusual activity. Something about the order when the rest of the group headed for the lagoon struck Sam as odd, but he was a soldier and followed orders.

---NCIS---

When he was phased, Tim could feel the signal as if it were a physical presence, a vibration against his skin. The signal was strong in the outer parts of the facility, but weakened as he moved towards the heart of the operation. It suddenly disappeared as he slipped through the seventh wall along his path. Tim froze, waiting to see what was different in this room. Only one light was illuminating this room, but it was virtually a spotlight shining down onto a raised dais. Even though the room seemed deserted, he phased to become invisible before approaching the narrow platform. A woman's body was resting upon it, barely breathing and deeply unconscious, over a dozen wires attached to her head. It had been many years since she'd been photographed, but she hadn't aged a day and he recognized her immediately as he sagged against her bed.

"Mom."

It took three calls from Hydro before the frantic tone penetrated Tim's mind. He ignored Hydro's questions to ask his own. "Is the surface secure? Is it safe to bring the boat to shore?" He knew his voice betrayed the pain he was feeling, but he didn't have the strength to hide it.

Gibbs broke in and responded before Hydro could say anything. "Shadow, what's wrong?"

"Is it secure?"

"The surface is secured, what's happening down there, Shadowhawk?" Vance couldn't imagine what had spooked the young man, but at this point he knew Hamilton was capable of anything.

Tim couldn't say the words to explain what he had found. "I need Hetty down here now."

"What is…"

"Now, Frozone." It was the first time he had referred to the Director by his Super name and that set off alarm bells in his mind.

"We'll get her here. Gibbs, you and your team move in now. We'll meet up with you ASAP." Gibbs didn't wait for the order, he and Kort were already on their way with the rest of their team scrambling to catch up.

While the team was rushing to rendezvous with Hydro, he was encouraging Tim to establish an entry point for the team. Obviously distracted by what he had found, McGee set up a meet point at an exit he had secured earlier.

---NCIS---

Onboard the boat, Hetty listened to the transmission, becoming more and more concerned as she listened. "Gus, how close can you get us?"

He had been listening as had the rest of the support team. Instead of saying anything, he revved the engine and pointed the bow towards the shore. There was just enough time to brace themselves before they were plowing into the sand. As soon as Hetty realized what he was going to do, she was back on the radio, calling for Speedster. He met the boat as soon as it was stationary, buried to the waterline in the sand and grinned at Hetty as she climbed onto his back,

"It's been a few years since we did this, babydoll."

"Take me to my boy, love."

Eric and Nate stared at each other.

"Babydoll?"

"Love?"

Knowing that at some point there would be injuries, Ducky and Palmer started setting up the medical equipment they'd brought, while Abby fluttered around them nervously.

---NCIS---

Lazerview used his laser vision to cut through the locking mechanism at the access point. McGee was waiting for him on the other side. "Is Hetty coming?"

"She's on her way, Tim. What's wrong?" Gibbs hadn't seen his agent this rattled in many years, and caught him by the upper arms to get an answer out of him. "What did you find?"

"My mother. I think she's the Super Hamilton is using to create the mind control energy waves." Tim blinked back tears as he tried to find the words to explain his mother's condition. "She's… she's… it's bad, Boss, it's really bad.

"Oh, heavens." Hetty and Speedy had arrived in time for her to hear what Tim had found. "Are you sure it's her?" Hetty was ready to charge through the complex to her sister, but Gibbs reigned them in.

"McGee, lead the way. Kort and Callen take point and security. Kensi, watch out for Hetty. You three," he pointed at the Supers with them, "watch our flanks. I'll take the rear."

Having Gibbs there barking orders like he'd heard a thousand times over the years helped McGee to focus as he led them back to the control room where Starspirit was being held. Systematically he phased into and cleared each room as they made their way across the facility. As he found guards in their path Kort and Callen took turns containing them. Their party grew in size as the other teams caught up with them.

Eventually they were outside the target room. Gibbs held his hand up to halt the group as the Supers with them double-checked for booby traps. It appeared that Hamilton was overconfident as they could find nothing. Finally, they eased the door open. The teams secured the perimeter as Tim and Hetty approached the bed.

"Marlena, my beautiful baby sister." Hetty reached out and touched her hair, spread out on the satin pillow, before touching her cold cheek. When Hetty's fingers made contact with her sister's skin, the older woman suddenly stilled as their minds brushed. It was just like when they were children and Hetty could shelter the uncontrollable power Marlena had been born with.

Acting on instinct, Tim sat next to his mother and took her hand. The power he felt was something he'd never experienced and he swayed under the force of it. Hetty leaned towards him and when they touched, it completed a circuit between the three of them that had waited a lifetime to form. He felt the gentle touch of his mother's love caress his mind once as she begged to be released from her earthly prison.

With a shudder, McGee dropped his forehead to rest on his mother's shoulder as Hetty pulled away. While Gibbs watched, Kort went to her, hoping for answers.

"What happened to her?"

Hetty shook her head as she wiped the tears off her face. "At the moment of her death, Hamilton trapped her spirit. He's been channeling her abilities to control the army he's trying to create, but she's been fighting him all these years."

"Can we do anything to save her?" Deep down, Kort knew the answer as he watched Tim say his goodbyes.

"No, it's too late; she can never return to her body. All we can do now is release her and give her peace. " Hetty stepped closer to the equipment that tied Starspirit to the physical plane. McGee bent down and kissed his mother's forehead before he joined Hetty at the control panel.

Kort reached out and prevented them from turning off the life supporting machines. Hetty started to object until she saw the rare look of compassion on his face as he studied McGee. As a last gesture to the woman he had loved from afar since he was boy, Trent Kort turned off the machines, freeing her, so her son wouldn't have to.


	30. Chapter 30

**a/n - This is it, the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed the journey. I hope it has made you laugh, but more importantly, I hope it has made you think. Lots more stories to come, so you'll be hearing from me again soon. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, they truly feed me as a writer.**

Tim could feel the press of grief as his friends moved closer to comfort him, but he had to focus, had to fulfill the one thing his mother had asked of him. Straightening, he stepped back as he turned to face them. "The children are two levels below us. My mother was protecting them by fighting Hamilton, but it's up to us now. He's down there, waiting for us."

"What children?" Watching McGee lose his mother only moments after finding her was harder than Callen was willing to admit. It was easier to let loose with his anger. "What else haven't you told us?"

Hetty recognized the source of his anger and immediately forgave him. "Hamilton didn't kill the children, he kidnapped them. We discovered it right before the mission."

"Sam's son…"

"Yes, Kensi, his son may or may not be alive. Until we know, we did not want to get his hopes up."

"There's no choice now." The fragments of knowledge and memories he had received when his mother's mind touched his were becoming clearer. "Her presence in their minds was a constant. Now that it's gone…"

Psycwave had been reaching out with her mind ever since she'd entered the hidden complex. Her powers of telepathy were a fraction of what Starspirit's had been, but it was enough to tell her of the trouble. "Hamilton's lost control, he's down there to kill the ones he can't control."

"No more." McGee looked around at the humans and Supers. "It ends now. Call Hanna, we need all the Supers here now to help the children." With a resigned look at Gibbs, McGee phased and dropped down through the floor to challenge Hamilton before anybody could react. Hetty was on the radio to Sam as they all bolted out of the room to find the stairs down to the lower levels.

---NCIS---

When Hamilton gathered his remaining guards and sent them out into the corridors, he didn't take into account the one Super whose powers were still a mystery to him. He sure didn't plan on him dropping in through the ceiling.

Determination gave McGee a grace he rarely felt as he landed across the room from Hamilton. He flexed his knees and dropped down into a crouch, not knowing what to expect from the man who had taken so much away from so many.

The children scattered, the older ones protecting the younger ones as Hamilton smirked at their new defender. "I don't believe we're been formally introduced. You may call me Master."

"I don't think so, Hamilton. I'm nobody's slave. I'm Shadowhawk, a protector of the innocent, as were my parents before me." From the hidden corners of the room he could feel the children watching him as they witnessed a true use of powers for the first time.

"Innocent, there's no such thing." Hamilton started circling around Tim, convinced he still had the upper hand.

Tim's voice was honest and sincere as he spoke to the children as much as he was speaking to Hamilton. "This room is full of innocent children. All these children that you stole from parents who loved them and wanted them, and for what? So you could try to corrupt them to use their abilities for your benefit? To create a private army of Supers to do your dirty work?"

"What are you offering them instead? A chance to do what? To save someone who doesn't deserve to be saved? To risk their lives to protect some town that isn't grateful enough to pay you?" Hamilton punctuated his last question with a wave of his hand that tossed a heavy bench at McGee.

Tim phased and allowed the metal and wooden object to pass through him. "It's not about the money or the accolades. It's about going to bed at night knowing you did everything in your power to make this world a better place. It's about doing the right thing." He shifted so his knives were in easy reach, but didn't pull one out yet.

"Is it true, do we have family that want us? We weren't abandoned here because we're different?" The speaker was a teenager with pale blonde hair and a questioning look on his face. "Somebody out there wants us?"

"Yeah, they do." Tim mentally ran through the files he had read repeatedly on the flight west. "You're almost sixteen, right?" Seeing the surprised look on the young man's face, Tim kept going. "You look just like your dad, I've seen a picture of him. You're named for him too, just like I'm named for my father." Tim waited for what he was sure would follow.

"What's my real name? Who am I?"

"Your name is Michael Jacobs Hall but your parents have always called you MJ. They've never stopped loving you and they've never stopped missing you."

There was a shift in the room as the older children realized Hamilton had been lying to them and the younger ones could sense it. Hamilton could see his years of planning being crushed under the truth and stepped up his attack on McGee. Every object heavy enough to do damage was being tossed at the young Superhero and Tim was rapidly running out of strength as he phased repeatedly.

Sounds of fighting could be heard from the hallways as the rescue teams drew closer. Furious at losing, Hamilton ramped up his attack.

Twice Tim remained in his natural state and let something hit him rather than let it pass through him and hit a child hiding behind him. The first hit left a large gash on his arm and the second hit left him limping heavily.

Michael watched and made his decision. He would be a Superhero like the man willing to die to rescue them. He flung out his hand and threw a bolt of electricity at Hamilton.

Without the proper training, the move was telegraphed clearly as Michael first started to act. Hamilton was able to use his own abilities to deflect the charge away from himself and towards two toddlers cowering in the corner. Tim launched himself into the path of the voltage, dropping the instant it hit him.

"No!" A young woman prepared to enter the fight. Running across the room, she picked up speed and jumped into the air. She couldn't gain a lot of altitude in the room, but it was enough as she manipulated gravity and sent Hamilton flying against the far wall.

It was a free-for-all as the children descended on Hamilton. Tim struggled to his feet, afraid the children would kill their captor and how that would affect them. He needn't have worried; they backed off a few minutes later. Hamilton was battered and bloodied and apparently one of the kids had the power of matter manipulation because he was tightly trussed up in neon purple ropes. There were a lot of things that McGee wasn't terribly sure about, but he was pretty sure purple wasn't a normal rope color on the island.

The children spun around as the door finally burst open. "Easy, easy, guys, they're my friends." Tim's gentle reassurances calmed the kids as Gibbs and Vance came in first followed by the rest of the teams and a large group of Supers.

Vance looked around until he spotted Hamilton, looking suspiciously like a well wrapped Thanksgiving turkey. "Great job, Shadowhawk."

Tim grinned at the kids as they edged closer to him. "Thank you sir, but I had help." Knowing Hanna was in the crowd that had just arrived, Tim looked around for the little boy he had seen earlier. Of the twenty-two children Hamilton had taken over the years, only three were of African-American decent. The fourteen year old girl was smiling and laughing nervously with a group of other teenage girls while the nine year old was studying the new arrivals. It was the five year old that McGee was interested in. Little Jackson Hanna was part of a group of younger children that had been gathered up by his rescuer. She smiled and blushed at him as he picked the boy up.

He settled the little boy on his hip as he limped across the room. "Hey, Sam, come here."

Hanna had walked in to see the group of children and a small ember of hope started burning in his chest. When he heard McGee call out his name and walk towards him with a little boy, he stopped breathing. He didn't remember moving, but McGee wasn't moving enough for them to have met up so quick.

The pain of the day, both physical and emotional, were lessened as Tim was able to make an introduction he never thought he'd be able to make. "Sam, I'd like you to meet your son, Jackson." He handed the little boy to Hanna, watching as strong arms engulfed the child.

Anyone who said real men don't cry had never witnessed a reunion like this as Sam clutched his son tightly against his chest. "Daddy thought he'd never see you again." The members of the LA team were each introduced to the newest member of the family.

Callen tried to stay casual, but there was no mistaking the glistening of moisture in his eyes as he held a fist up to the boy. "Hey, buddy, can you pound it?" When all he got was a blank look he snagged Dominic for a demonstration. The two men thumped their fists together and then acted out an explosion. "Can you do that, Jackson?" Callen held up his fist for the little guy to hit and immediately discovered what Jackson's power was as the tap sent him flying across the room.

Laughing and groaning, Callen climbed to his feet. "Looks like some Superstrength there, Sam.

---NCIS---

Over the next three days a lot of reunions occurred on the small island as the government flew in the parents and family members, anxious to keep everyone away from the media while things were sorted out. Fornell's raid on Hamilton's lab and files gave the evidence needed to prove his lengthy plans and his responsibility for the uprising that had destroyed the public's confidence in Superheroes.

The fourth day brought Tom Morrow to the island with a media crew in tow. Before his press conference, Morrow tracked down Vance, Gibbs and McGee. "Gentlemen, I wanted to speak to you before I talk on camera. I don't think I have to tell you that the discovery of what Hamilton was up to has the Department of Superheroes in an uproar. It's going to take some time for the politicians to sort it all out, but by the end of this session all rights will be restored to the Supers."

It sounded almost too good to be true. "All rights, sir?"

"Yes, Agent McGee, all rights. Under the new laws there will be zero tolerance for any type of discrimination or abuse. You will get back any and all properties that were seized or that you were forced to turn over. Handlers will no longer be required, but we do recommend Supers retain some sort of assistant to help them with the more mundane parts of life. Since I know you'll never willingly show up at a press conference, Gibbs, I'm giving you a print-out of the highlights.

In truth Gibbs really did listen to the majority of what his superiors might have to say, but at the moment he was more interested in the Super resting her head on McGee's shoulder. Elizabeth McAdams, the daughter of a Marine Corps officer, was the first Super Hamilton had latched onto, her birth and supposed 'death' happening only a few years after McGee's arrival. Much to the General's surprise, his daughter was not only alive but now rather infatuated with a certain NCIS agent.

Hetty walked over to nudge Gibbs while he covertly watched Tim and Beth as they walked along the beach. "Well?"

"She's kinda cute."

"She's adorable. So, what do you think?"

"I think," Gibbs paused as he heard Tim laugh, something that did not happen nearly enough. "I think that Mildred is going to have to learn to sail her own boat."


End file.
